Sweet Childhood Memories
by allen.seizmik
Summary: The prequel to 'Akatsuki High' and the story of Deidara's life. Follows the Akatsuki High characters from when they were kids all the way to their junior year. Rated M. Pairings, same as in Akatsuki High.
1. The Beginning

**I decided to rewrite the first chapter of this story, it was really bothering me how...ehh it sounded! Well, whatever, this is for the benefit of new readers, I suppose :)**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

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Eyes gleaming and smiling ear to ear, she emerged from the bathroom, small, delicate hands clasped around an obscured object.

She was beautiful. Her long blonde hair hung in curtains around her, the bangs held back by a butterfly clip. Bright azure eyes alive with joy scanned the living room as she came down the stairs. She smoothed the front of her blouse with her forearm, still holding on with both hands to what seemed like what was her most treasured posession.

"Nagato will be so happy..!" she whispered to herself, and she looked down at the positive pregnancy test she was holding in her hands.

She had reached the landing and rushed over to her husband's side.

A tall and thin man with dirty-blond hair and navy blue eyes sat on the couch, eyes glued to the big screen TV in the middle of the living room. In his hand he held a beer.

"Nagato! Nagato, guess what?!" she squealed, beside herself with joy.

He sighed impatiently, rising from his seat and walking over to his wife. He set the beer can down on a nearby table.

She couldn't wait. "You're going to be a father!"

She stood there, looking up into his face with the utmost expression of innocent joy that could be imagined. He saw the pregnancy test she was holding, saw how excited she was. It made him sick.

"No, I'm not," he said patiently.

Seiryu's smile flickered and died. "Wh-...what..? Nagato-"

"You're getting rid of that...that thing!"

"Oh, no...Nagato, no!" Seriyu pleaded. "No, please, no!"

She saw his hands ball into fists and immediately took a few steps back, her hands immediately jumping to her face, where half-healed bruises were scattered across her otherwise flawless skin.

"It's either me or the kid, bitch!" and his voice made her ears hurt, made her chest hurt with the very meaning of it all and she found that she had tears in her She watched as he returned to his place on the couch, not even bothering to retrieve his beer.

"Make yourself useful and make me something to eat, goddamit..."

Seiryu walked into the kitchen where she sank to the floor. Her face scrunched up and she shook her head as tears ran down her face.

She cried alone.

Five months later...

The front door swung open and Nagato pushed Seiryu inside. Her outstretched arms broke the fall and she lay on her side, looking up at her husband in terror.

"You just had to wait, didn't you! Just had to wait that long, you dumb piece of shit!" he slammed the door once he was inside. The sound of his boots on the floor terrified her, and he cast a long shadow on her as he stood over her. She couldn't get up.

"I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" she screeched, attempting to back away slowly and failing.

She saw the boot rise and when he made to kick her in the stomach, she cringed and shielded herself. "No! No, not him! Not my baby! Nagato, not him! Hurt me, but not him, please, I beg you!"

Nagato lowered his foot. She barely had time to feel relieved when his open hand struck her face. Her face stung and grew hot.

He walked away.

"Fine..." she heard him say. "But that little shit's no son of mine."

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**I** **am indeed working on a new chapter, I've had to rewrite it about three times. But it's getting there! -Jas**


	2. Five Years Later

**Well hello people! Sorry I don't have time to go and get the names of the ppl who reviewed but I want to thank you for reviewing all the same! Enjoy!**

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**five years later**

"C'mon Deidara! Time for school!" came Seiryu's voice from the hallway.

A little blond boy was lying on a bed, asleep. He looked about five years old. He stirred and opened his large, azure eyes. He scratched his head, messing up his already tangled, neck-length hair.

"Get up, Dei," Seiryu said, coming into the room and helping deidara out of bed. "We have to get you to school before your father wakes up-"

"Seiryu!"

Seiryu sighed. "Nevermind..."

Once dDeidara was ready, he ran down the stairs for breakfast. Seiryu was busy in the kitchen making pancakes and Nagato was already at the table.

"Morning," Deidara mumbled shyly, not facing Nagato.

Nagato grunted, staring daggers at the little blonde. "Hurry the fuck up, seiryu," he growled. "I'm hungry..."

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"G'bye, Dei," Seiryu said, lowering the sleeve of Deidara's sweater to hide the day-old purplish bruise on Deidara's arm that had been the result of him leaving his backpack on the hallway. "Have a nice first day. You sure you don't want me to walk you?"

"I'm fine," Deidara said, rubbing the bruise and receiving a kiss from his mother.

He got out of the car and waved goodbye as Seiryu drove away. She couldn't walk him inside anyway because she had to get to work- she was already late. Deidara walked through the open gates and into the courtyard were everybody was talking. He had never had a friend before (Nagato had forbidden him to talk to the neighbors for reasons known unknown to everyone but himself) and wasn't sure he'd be able to make one. He sat down on one of the only deserted benches.

"...be just fine, Yahiko," a voice was saying.

Deidara looked up and saw three kids walking in his direction. A girl with black hair tied up in a bun, a boy with orange-red hair, and a boy with black hair the same length as deidara's and covering one eye. the girl was talking to the boy with the orange-red hair, or Yahiko.

"I s'ppose you're right..." Yahiko replied.

The girl with the black hair looked in deidara's direction. Her eyes widened andher face reddened sligthly. she quickly turned away and began to talk to the black-haired boy. Deidara, puzzled, continued to look in her direction and did not notice the little redhead run past him. Deidara felt something hit his outstretched legs and then heard of groan of pain.

Deidara quickly turned and saw a small, skinnyt red headed boy getting up from the ground. he turned and his angry, large brown eyes met Deidara's surprised blue ones.

"Watch it, you dumb girl!" the boy yelled, dusting off his pants. He was not crying.

No one payed them much attention. everyone continued to walk away around and talk as if nothing had happened.

Anger rose up inside Deidara. Had that kid just called him a _girl?_

"I'm not a girl! And you should watch where you're running!" Deidara shouted back.

"You're dumb, go away!" the other boy screamed.

Deidara got up from his place and suddenly the bell rang. The redhead turned on the spot and began to walk away as everyone in the courtyard began to move around as a whole, trying to get to class.

Deidara already knew where his classroom was. He had seen it during registration. quickly, he headed inside and went into the first classroom. A large window, the only window, allowed sunlight to pour into the room. Four circular table with four chairs each were in the center of the room. the floor was blanketed by a large, colorful carpet with numbers, much like the posters adorning the walls. A small fridge was in a corner, next to a tiny bookshelf, three feet high and filled with small books.

Deidara took a seat, the one closest to the door. more kids began filing in. The girl from before and her two friends joined Deidara at his table. A small boy with white-blonde hair and violet eyes stepped in, sitting on the table to Deidara's right. A boy with black hair and brownish-red eyes joined him. As did a boy with pale skin and eyes the color of gold and another with small black eyes, and hair as pointy as his teeth. The redheaded boy that had yelled at Deidara before sat at a table at the far corner followed by a boy with long blak hair, a pale face and golden eyes and a boy with the hood his jacket over his head, the only things visible were his bright green eyes.

Everyone was seated, the room was alive with the chatter and laughter of the twenty kids inside of it. Someone stepped inside- a woman.

"Quiet," she muttered and the talking died almost instantly. She was a short woman with short brown hair and stern black eyes that swept the room back and forth. Her lips were thin, but they went well with her small frame.

"Alright. i'm your teacher, Ibiki-sensei. I'm not usually mean, but i can be if you break the rules. I only have a few rules: Number one, No yelling. Number two, No hitting or name-callling. Number three, do not take what is not yours. That's it, they're not hard follow, right?"

"Yes, Ibiki-sensei," came the class's reply as one.

"Alright. Well, it's the first day of school so I have no assignments for you. Why don't you all talk and get to know each other?" Ibiki suggested with a smile. "Or you can go to the play areas or the reading areas...if any of you can read.... Just be sure to clean up after yourselves!"

Deidara got off his chair and went to the bookshelft grabbing the first book he saw. Seiryu had slowly taught Deidara to read, taking advantage of the many nights that Nagato had spent the night sleeping in a bar, completely drunk, or at a friend's house and not coming home until three in the morning.

Deidara opened the book. It was a book of colors:

_Blue. The ocean is blue._

"B-bloo. Blue, the o-shun...ocean is blue," Deidara read aloud. He turned the page and brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

_Yellow. The sun is yellow._

"Yell-oh. Yellow. The sun is...yellow," He turned the page and some whispers reached his ears.

"Oh, but look, he's so cute, Mikku!"

"I know, Konan! Ooh, i like his eyes..."

Deidara knew they were talkig about him.

_Orange. The carrot is orange._

"Or-enge. Orange...the care-rot. Carrot-"

"You think we should talk to him?"

"You go first konan..."

"-is orange..."

Deidara heard carpet-muffled footsteps approaching. He kept reading, nevertheless.

_Purple. The grapes are purple._

"Purple. The grapes are purple-"

"Hello there!" came a girl's high-pitched voice.

Deidara looked up and, through his bangs saw two girls standing before him. He brushed his bangs out of his face again and saw that one of the girls was the black-haired one that he had seen outside. The other was much shorter and looked very small, her thin legs threatened to break with every step she took. Her eyes were light gray, almost transparent and her straw-colored hair looked smooth; it pooled around her shoulders and cascaded down her back stopping at her tiny waist. A single pink bown adorned her hair.

"Hi," Deidara muttered, his voice barely louder than a whisper. It was never much louder than that unless he was in the presence of his mother or someone he knew.

"I'm, Mikku," said the gray-eyed girl boldy, taking a step forward. She pointed to the black-haired girl next to her. "This is Konan. What's your name?"

"Deidara," the blonde replied.

Konan. It had been she who had called deidara "cute", although he had no idea what she meant by it and did not consider it an important enough comment to remember later on.

"Ooh. so, how are you doing?" Mikku asked.

"'M fine," Deidara replied quietly.

Deidara's complete lack of enthusiastic answers seemed to disappoint Mikku more than Konan. It was not that he wasn't interested, but he was very shy. Mikku's eyes looked from dDeidara to her feet to Konan.

"Alright...well, we'll see you around," Konan said, grabbing Mikku's arm and leading her away.

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Deidara sat at one of the stone picnic tables behind cafeteria. He was the only one there besides a couple of fifth graders sitting on a table nearby.

"Nana, gimme those chips if ya ain't gonna finish 'em," said a tall, lanky, black-haired boy. "I'm hungry..."

"Alright," said a girl, throwing said bag of chips across the table to the boy. She had long, reddish-brown hair that was cut just below the ears. "You eat too much, Sei..."

Deidara went back to his food as laughter issued from the table.

"Oi, what's with that little...is it a girl or a boy? The hair...oh, it's a boy," said another boy next to sei. He had brown eyes and black hair that made his chalky skin seem even chalkier still.

"Haru, be quiet," said nana. "He's so small..."

Deidara ignored them.

"He's still got his bag of chips, Sei," said a boy next to Nana. His dark hair went well with his green eyes.

"Oi, little kid!" Sei yelled.

Deidara looked up, knowing they were speaking to and about him. Who else was there besides him?

"Y-Yeah?" Deidara half-replied, half-asked.

"Are you gonna eat those chips?" Sei yelled back.

"No," deidara replied.

"Bring 'em here, then," Sei said.

Deidara grabbed the bag and began walking towards Sei's table. He handed the bag over and turned to leave as Haru stuck his foot out. Deidara tripped over it but managed to steady himself just in time. The three older boys threw their heads back, howling with laugher. Nana, it seemed, did not approve.

"Leave him alone, he didn't do anything to you," she said flatly, but sternly. "Pick on someone your own size!"

Haru sighed, annoyed. "Fine, nana. Go away, kid..."

Deidara quickly walked away as the bell rang. His first day at school was not what he had wanted it to be.

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**Aw...evil!! deidara's so cute!! it took me two hours to finish this chapter because i was on the phone with my boyfriend and he straightened his hair (for the first time in forever) and wouldn't take a pic so i could see dx. more evil. well, i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!! r&r please?? thanx!!**


	3. The Morgue

**Yay, chapter three! this is actually one of my favorite chapters! I took advantage of my four-day weekend to type up as many chapters as i could. Then all i have to do is upload it at school!! I really should be working on a drawing that i'm getting payed to do but...my sketchbook is not within arm's reach and the computer is so...oh well!! Enough talk and enjoy! (Btw, something's wrong with this Document thing, it made all my capital letters lowercase, so sorry if someone's name isn't capitalized, I'm trying to fix it!)**

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"Don't let go of my hand, Dei," said Seiryu.

"Mm-hmm," Deidara replied, gripping his umbrella tighter as the sky gave a loud rumble. It was pouring and had been so since Seiryu had picked him up from school only twenty-five minutes ago. Seiryu taken advantage of her lunch break (which was at three-forty five p.m.) to pick up Deidara from school. Now she had come back to serve the last two hours of her shift, though Deidara knew that when they got home she might still be called to replace someone or to be assigned extra hours. She was a coroner, whatever _that_ meant, and her work schedule tended to be a bit irregular.

Amegakure Hospital was a large, five-story building that had to be at least seventy years old. The lights of some rooms were on, the yellowish glow visible from the small and slightly grimy windows. It was an old building but it was still good enough to be Amegakure's hospital. Seiryu and Deidara went in quickly and were greeted by the sudden warmth. They paused in the small lobby to close their umbrellas. The lighting had been done hastily and without much care; the place was bathed in a semi-bright and unsatisfying, sick yellowish glow. The counters were empty, no clerks. No one sat in the ancient, hard-backed chairs or attempted to wrestle stale candy bars (while the clerks weren't looking) from the candy machines with their **"Out of Service"** signs permanently taped to them. Seiryu led Deidara down a dimly lit hallway that he was now familiar with. They began to descend down a flight of ancient steps. Deidara had been to the morgue several times before and had not once (not even on his first visit) been afraid of the dead bodies. Seiryu had been surprised but proud. Deidara was now allowed to watch Seiryu and her assistant, a young brunet man called Akira, perform autopsies (without her boss's knowledge, of course). He loved every minute of it.

They walked down the stairs, their footsteps resounding at a hollow, mismatched pace. It had gotten darker, the temperature cooler. The air smelled funny. It always did, but Deidara had never thought to ask why. Until now.

"What's that smell?" Deidara asked, his voice made unnaturally loud by the stone walls.

"It's formaldehyde. It always smells like it in the morgue, Dei. we kind of use it to preserve the bodies. So they don't decompose-"

"Like when you leave meat out for too long?" deidara interrupted.

Seiryu laughed. "Yup. We can't let the bodies rot, so that we can perform the autopsy just fine..." she replied. If there was one thing she took pride in besides Deidara, it was her job. It was the only thing that made her feel herself. Nagato couldnt interefere with her job. He had been unemployed for three years now which was why they had moved to Amegakure from Iwagakure. Seiryu had gone to medical school and was able to get a job at the hospital as a coroner. She made the money, but Nagato decided how to spend it.

They came to a landing, turned, and came to a door with a frosted-glass panel. They could hear water runnning inside. Seiryu opened the door and Deidara followed.

The place was empty except for a woman, lying dead on a cart and Akira, who was in the usual mint-green surgical scrubs, and rinsing something in the large sink. Seiryu removed her coat to reveal identical scrubs.

The sink was wide with a tall crook-necked faucet, a drainboard, and a hanging scale. There were three more sinks along the wall closest to Deidara's left. The walls were of a sky blue ceramic tile, and there were long stainless-steel counters with a large amoutnt of drawer space. It looked like some sort of kitchen, but Deidara knew nothing edible was prepared in here.

Akira looked at Seiryu and raised a bloodly gloved hand as a greeting. He waved at deidara, too. Deidara waved back.

Now Deidara could see the body up close. It was a young woman, probably in her mid-twenties. She had long black hair and lay very still on the cart, her eyes closed. Her bloodless face was free of any emotion. She was not breathing, and her skin was very pale, almost gray.

Seiryu washed her hands, and made Deidara do the same. She handed him a shirt only because he could not wear full scrubs, he was too small. She sat him on an empty cart so he could watch.

Deidara looked at the woman's feet expectantly and saw what he had been looking for: the woman's toe tag. He always read them, even though it was just a bunch of numbers.

Akira got out a spray bottle of disinfectant, which he began to squirt onto the stainless-steel counter he had been working at. Once he was done, he turned to Seiryu and began laying out tools on a tray: a scalpel, forceps, different sized saws, and a surgical drill that seiryu seldom used.

The blonde looked on as Seiryu got to work, starting, as always, by making a large y-shaped cut down the middle of the woman's body, the top portion of the y between her breasts. Deidara watched, fascinated, as one of the saws came to life whirring loudly. The whirring becoming high-pithed and annoying as it struck bone.

A few minutes later, Seiryu was done and was now examining the woman's heart and lungs.

"She was a smoker..." Seiryu murmured and Akira turned to jot something down on a clipboard. "But i don't think that's what killed her..."

Akira nodded.

"I think it might've been-" she held up the woman's heart, which was twice the normal size, and placed it on the hanging scale. "-something else..."

Akira's eyes widened and he scribbled on the clipboard, taking a quick glance at the scale.

Deidara smiled excitedly. This was getting good.

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**Seiryu's pov**

I rubbed my eyes and looked down at my half-finished report. It was two in the morning, but i had to get it done.

"Immediate cause of death...seems to be a ruptured aortic valve. probably from impact with the steering wheel," I muttered, writing as i spoke. "Sternum and multiple ribs were fractured. ascending aorta incompletely torn- just above superior border of the valve cusps. Slso, massive aortiv adventitial hemorrage. Toxicology reports indicate that alcohol was not a factor-"

_Thump._

I paused, my pen hovering an inch off my paper. I looked around, everything was dark, except for my desk, which had a small circle of light thrown upon it by an old desk lamp.

A hand placed itself on my shoulder. "Seiryu..." said a husky voice. the strong scent of scotch and sweat scurried up my nose and i jumped up, startled. I turned around and saw Nagato standing there, very drunk, by the look of him.

"You're up late," he said, his words slurred. "You doin' work?"

"Yeah...i'm just about done," I said softly, only answering his question and nothing else so that he could keep this rare light mood. One wrong step and he would blow.

I stepped into the kitchen. "D'you want something to drink?"

"Nah...i'm alright," Nagato replied, leaving into the living room. He turned on the light and then set to look for an unknown something. Minutes later he seemed to find it and sat down on the couch. The light in the living room dimmed considerably.

I poured myself a glass of milk, being too tired to make coffee. I set my glass down on the table and walked into the living room.

Nagato's nose was reddened. He had taken out a mirror and a razor blade; he was busy laying out a couple of lines of coke. His facial expression was hungry.

"Where's the brat?" Nagato asked as he bent over, using a rolled-up scrap of paper like a straw and his nostril became a mini vacuum cleaner. He lay back on the couch, his eyes closed, his fingers pinching his nose closed. He opened his eyes and looked down, wetting his pinky finger and cleaned surface of the jagged mirror. He ran his fingertip across his gums with a speed that suggested it was his last time doing this.

"Asleep," I answered.

"Good," he replied. He stared out at the window and began to laugh aloud.

I said nothing and went back to my report. It was at three in the morning when my report was finally finished. I turned off the lamp, stepped into the living room and put a blanket over Nagato, who was fast asleep on the couch. I quickly took a shower and dried myself off. I slipped on some panties and a bra and finally a loose nightgown. Carefully, I stepped into Deidara's room and kissed his forehead, stroking his semi-long blond hair. He looked like an angel to me, but so did every child in their mother's eyes. I was convinced, however, that my Deidara was special and he deserved better than the life he lived in this house. He deserved a better father. He deserved a better mother. He deserved _real_ parents and a safe and comfortable house. Tears clouded my vision and I smiled down at my little boy, who was growing up so fast. I wiped the tears from my eyes and closed his window, which was letting in a cold breeze. I stood at the doorway, looking at Deidara for a few minutes before stepping into my room.

_My room._

Nagato and i had slept in separate bedrooms for almost a year now. It felt horrible not to wake up and see another face, or to crawl into bed and be welcomed by someone else's warmth instead of the bedsheets' cold indifference. But it was better this way- for all of us.

I stood at the door, holding back tears because of the state my family was in. It had fallen into disrepair like the house. Yes, the house...it needed fixing up and only made our situation worse. Our couches were old and the house needed painting. One of our windows was broken because of Nagato and the only good thing in the house was the T.V., which belonged to Nagato. It was a 50" flat-screen that was mounted on the wall and no one was allowed to watch it without Nagato's permission. I had chosen the best room for Deidara. The carpet was the least worn out and the walls the least chipped. I hated our house but I needed the job, we needed the money. It didn't matter what i thought.

I sighed and locked both locks on my door and crawled into bed, easing myself into the stone-cold sheets and set the alarm for the next morning. This was just another night at home: my husband, as always, was drunk and high, sleeping on the couch. My little boy sleeping in his room, his door reinforced by two additional locks for fear that Nagato might hurt him while I was sleeping for reasons uknown to everyone but himself. Quickly, I drifted off to sleep, my brain projecting slowly-fading images of bloody crime scenes, noiseless morgues, and my now broken family.

**End Seiryu's POV **

**Normal POV For Next Chapter**

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**I kinda find this chapter sad...ah well, how was it? R&R please? Arigato!**


	4. Nagato

**Ok, time to thank you guys for reviewing:**

**xXLong-lost-wolfXx**

**ShadesofDeath**

**Ninjashallow**

**kaosu-no-inmetsu**

**Sagesther**

**SutaakiHitori**

**I like how this story's going :) Anyways, enjoy!**

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"How's school, hon?" Seiryu asked as she pulled into the driveway. Her shift had ended early and a tall woman with flowing black hair had taken over for Seiryu as she did every Friday.

"It's fine," Deidra lied. The whole week, Mikku had been overly friendly with him and he did not like it one bit. Konan seemed to not notice Deidara much now. The redheaded boy (whose name, Deidara had found out, was Sasori) had taken to bullying him whenever the teacher's back was turned. He was often joined by a violet-eyed boy named Hidan. Twice, the group of fifth-graders Deidara had met on the first day of school had taken his money which was meant for cookies from the cafeteria.

"Have you made any friends?" Seiryu asked, turning off the car and looking over at her son.

"No, not yet..." Deidara admitted sadly. He didn't think Mikku counted. A whole week, he reminded himself. A whole entire week and he had no friends.

"It's alright, Dei. You just need time," Seiryu replied, kissing him on the forehead and getting out of the car. Being a mother, she was skilled at keeping the doubt out of her voice, which she kicked herself mentally for feeling in the first place.

Deidara said nothing. He got out of the car, slamming the door behind him unintentionally.

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**Nagato's POV**

"Not fit for the job...bullshit," I grumbled, lighting a cigarette as I walked home from yet another unsuccessful job interview.

Every day I felt less and less like a man. Seiryu was the one that did everything: She worked, cooked, cleaned, and cared for the brat. When had I ceased to be the man of the house? She did everything. But was it because she was afraid of me? She locked both her and the brat's doors with two locks each. We had slept in separate bedrooms for almost a year. She was being stupid. She was the only woman in my life- but _not_ my bed. She deserved those beatings, both her and that little faggot she called her son. They should be grateful- I was straightening them out...showing them who's boss!

**Flashback**

_It was snowing outside, the temperature was ten degrees below zero. I was five back then, and beside myself with excitement. I wanted to play with the snow more than anything. It was the first snowfall of winter._

_"Nagato-kun, where are you going?" I heard my mother whisper. She had caught me sneaking downstairs, probably on her way to the bathroom. Sure enough, when I turned around, I could see her standing in the dark hallway wearing her favorite baby blue nightgown._

_"I wanted a glass of water," I lied._

_Her lined face allowed for a warm smile as she saw straight through my lie. "You can play with the snow in the morning."_

_"Alright," I muttered, as I started to go back into my room._

_"Damnit, Suguri!"_

_Damn. My father, Akitaroh, was awake. He sounded half-asleep...or drunk. I couldn't tell. But I did know which was more dangerous._

_Before she could do anything, my father, tall and powerfully-built, burst out of the room and grabbed my mother by the neck. The strong scent of cheap beer and stale tobacco reached my nose. He was drunk. Panic invaded me._

_"I'm fucking tryin' to sleep in here!" He roared, shaking her and waking up my older sister, Yuiko._

_My mother struggled, gaspong for air. There was a thud as he slammed her into the wall. She came away, blood dripping from her nose and mouth. She cried silently and pulled at my father's hands- they would not budge._

_Yuiko was tall and just a bit chubby. Or a "fat pig" as my father preferred to call her. She had shoulder-length dirty-blond hair and navy blue eyes. We looked almost the same. She rushed out of her room, half-asleep, but scared._

_She saw what was going on and grabbed my hand. "Run, Nagato-kun," she whispered. "Run, run and I'll be right behind you-"_

_"You two, don't think you're going anywhere! I'm gonna fix you, I'm showing you all who's boss!" Akitaroh yelled._

_"Run!" Yuiko shrieked._

_I ran and she followed. She never once let go of my hand. We ran down the stairs and out the door into the freezing cold that we could not feel because we were so afraid. We kept running and I looked back, crying, and my father's words were burned into my mind:_

_I'm showing you who's boss!_

_End Flashback_

_I took a drag and noticed I was almost home._

_Of course. My father had it right! He was a smart man, I realized this now. It was time to hand out some punishment of my own. I was showing them who's boss._

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

**Normal POV**

"What do you think, Dei?" Seiryu said, stepping into the kitchen. "Ramen or curry for dinner?"

"It doesn't matter," Deidara said, grabbing two glasses and going into the dining room. "What'll you make for him?"

Seiryu sighed as she opened a cabinet. "I'll make something when he comes home- _if_ he comes home."

The kitchen was a small but nice one, the walls lined with black tile. Everything was black-and-slilver: the refrigerator, the stove, and the microwave. A sink was under seven wine-red cabinets and a phone was on the wall. Nagato had bought all of these things, not out of the goodness of his hear, but because he liked to eat and wanted Seiryu to have everything necessary to have a hot meal ready for him when he got home.

Deidara looked up as the door opened and Nagato stepped in, slamming the door so hard the windows shook. He put his cigarette out on an ashtray that was sitting on the coffee table and proceeded into the kitchen.

Along the way, he saw Deidara, who had returned to setting the table. He grabbed him by the neck and the little blonde gave a frightened gasp, dropping the napkings he was holding. He tried to free himself and he knew his efforts were in vain, but he did not want to die. He was sure he would die. He knew Nagato was all too happy to kill him. Nagato dragged Deidara into the kitchen and threw him into a corner. He turned to Seiryu and grabbed a fistful of her hair.

"What the- Nagato!" she cried in pain.

Deidara collided with the wall, resulting in a dull thud. Pain shot up his arm, but he fought back the oncoming wave of tears. Nagato laughed loudly. It was more like a shrill bark that sent shivers down Deidara's back. He sounded demented...**insane.**

"Seiryu!" he screamed, laughing. "I'm here to teach you a lesson!"

_'I guess he didn't get the job,'_ Deidara thought absurdly, rubbing his injured arm.

"**OW!** You're _hurting_ me!" Seiryu shrieked.

"What's wrong, babe? I'm just showing you some- _manners!"_ At the last word, he sank his fist into her stomach and she gave a tiny gasp, her eyes shut tight from the pain. She coughed and sputtered trying to catch her breath.

She spotted Deidara on the floor and seemed to be able to catch her breath instantly. "Dei-kun!"

Deidara sat up. "I'm fine, Mommy..." he muttered.

It was a lie. His left arm and wrist were throbbing painfully. He stumbled to his feet and turned to see Nagato kick Seiryu in the back. Her legs gave way and she fell to the floor, crying.

"Run, Dei!" she screamed, it was all she could say.

Nagato flipped her over on her back and yanked her pants off. She screamed and shook her head wildly as he reached for her underwear. Deidara stood rooted to the spot; he couldn't move, what was he doing to her? _What was this?!_ Nagato's pants were coming off, then his boxers. Deidara cringed- it was scary.

The blonde watched, frozen with fear. He couldn't think, this was scary and he didn't know what to do. He couldn't do anything.

He couldn't help her.

"Stop it!" Deidara yelled at Nagato, wiping tears from his eyes.

Even without stopping, Nagato was able to punch Deidara in the stomach. Deidara fell to the floor and backed away into the corner, gasping and coughing. His tears finally spilled out.

He was so angry, sad, and scared. He could not fight back, Nagato was too big, Too big! He hated hiself- Seiryu was always able to help Deidara and he couldn't even help her in return. Not even _once_. He was worthless, hopeless, and stupid! A stupid crybaby who could do nothing but cry in a corner, not even strong enough to fight.

Nagato's scream broke through Deidara's thoughts. He looked over at his father, who now slipped his hands under Seiryu's shirt. There was a ripping sound and he tossed her shirt to the floor. He tore off the object (whose name Deidara did not know) she wore on her chest, exposing her breasts. Nagato gave one of them a tight squeeze and Deidara looked at Nagato and thought that was he was doing to Seiryu was disgusting and he promsied himself never to do something like that. _Never._

"Ready for round two?" Nagato yelled, his face alive with malice.

Seiryu shook her head and attempted to fight. Nagato swept her up in his arms and he stood up. She screamed.

_"Stop! You're hurting her!"_ Deidara yelled, backing away further and cradling his head in his hands.

Nagato laughed mercilessly and carried her away. Deidara heard him climb up the stairs and soon Seiryu's screams of terror resumed.

"Stop...you're hurting her..." Deidara said softly. His breathing was shallow, his eyes were closed.

Seiryu screamed in pain.

Deidara sobber and yanked at his hair- yellow strands floated down to the floor and settled there. Hot tears streamed down the blonde's face and he bared his teeth, wanting the tears to stop, wanting the pain to stop. It was like his heart was being torn to shreds, ripped open and emptied out. He wanted to cry, to cry and never stop. He wanted to scream until his throat was sore and bled. He wanted to run, to run until his legs gave up and he would have to fall on the ground, exhausted.

"You're hurting her..." Deidara whispered, and more yellow strands floated down and landed gently on the floor.

Nagato screamed and there was a loud thud, then Seiryu screamed.

"Please...stop. You're hurting her..." Deidara said, his voice barely audible.

* * *

**This chapter made me really sad T.T But it explains some things. By the way, the description of the kitchen was the same as my kitchen, lol. Poor Dei-kun...R&R please, let me know what you think. Thanks!**


	5. Seiryu

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Ok, I'm editing this chapter again!! Thanks to:

Sagester

Looloobell

for reviewing!! Enjoy!

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Deidara did not sleep at all that night. He finally decided to get up and take a bath at 7:15 a.m. the next morning- he had found out he had wet himself the previous day.

The bathroom was small, painted a light yellow. It had a tall sink with an old faucet painted gold. A small window that was stuck and would not open was a few feet above the toilet. There was a five-foot mirror on the wall facing the bathtub, which was obscured by black shower curtains.

Clumsily, he filled the tub and got in. The long mirror on the wall showed Deidara just how pale and sleep-deprived he looked. He began to scrub his face, not stopping, only going faster until-

"I hate you!" he screamed into the sponge, his muffled scream not loud enough to carry on into Nagato's room. He gave a great sob and then threw the sponge down into the water, crying into his wet hands. His face was red from the harsh scrubbing it had received- a subliminally self-given publishment.

He let his hands drop back into the water and he sat there, crying. What had Nagato done to Seiryu? And why?! Her frightened screams had come back to haunt the blonde and seemed to echo around the small bathroom. Deidara began to scrub his body slowly, watching the soap bubbles collect on the surface of the water.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

**Seiryu's POV**

_I closed my locker door and sighed. I knew I had failed that math quiz! I had not studied at all. Mom was still gone with her boyfriend on what my dad thought was a "business trip" with her "co-worker"._

_"What's wrong...?" said a voice next to me._

_I jumped up, startled, and looked to my left. A tall someone was leaning against the lockers and smiling at me in a way that made me feel very warm and happy. He had dirty-blond hair, great teeth, and navy blue eyes. I did not know his name, but he was one of the popular guys. I'd seen him around school but had never had the courage to talk to him._

_"What's wrong?" he repeate. "You look worried."_

_"Oh...no, it's nothing important," I replied. He was very cute and very tall. Why was he talking to me? I was the kind of girl who got her clothes stolen in the locker room by the cheerleaders while in the shower. I was not pretty, either. I was skinny, had braces, and simple, unstyled blonde hair. My clothes were nothing to be proud of: faded blue jeans and worn sneakers. A loose gray sweater topped it all off. Yet here he was, one of the cute boys, talking to me!_

_"You sure?" he asked._

_I nodded. "Yes," I replied softly._

_"Ok. It's just...I hate to see a frown on such a pretty face..." He said._

I woke up with a start, tears stinging my eyes.

You sick bastard, I thought. I sat up on the floor, the sickening pain in my head growing. Every inch of me was sore. Why had he done this to me? Just what the _fuck_ was he trying to prove?! And Deidara- Oh Deidara, my Dei! His face was burned into my mind, his expression of horror and confusion. I wondered what had been going through his head. He had seen it- would he ever be right again? He would grow to hate Nagato, if he didn't already. I was sure of it. And _me?_ I feared he would grow to hate me. I loved him, more than I loved my own life! I had to protect him, evenif I _died _doing it! I wanted my little boy to grow up and be a good person. A _great_ person. I wanted him to finish school and be successfull. I wanted him never to try drugs, to never be like his father! I hoped he'd be sweet forever. In my heart I knew he'd always be the well-behaved, kind little boy I dropped off and school every day. I hoped his father did not influence him.

I had to be around for him. Many times I had thought of leaving but no. I decided we would go on with our lives. I would be a great mother and raise my little boy into the gentleman inside him, regardless of Nagato's presence.

I looked at my watch. 8:00 a.m. I still had an hour before my shift started.

I crept out of the room and into mine. I left a post-it note on Nagato's bed saying I had left with Deidara and we'd be back before nine. I had not exactly forgiven Nagato. That was...on hold. But I had to take all the hits, like my mother had done, so I could be around for my little boy. Tears stung my eyes and I blinked them away. I couldn't be weak...not now. I knew my decision to still be around sounded stupid and irrashional but to me...it was all I could do for Deidara.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

**Normal POV**

Deidara eased into his shoes and began to towel-dry his hair, still crying.

"Calm down, you stupid girl. Crying is for girls...." he scolded himself. He dried his face on his sleeve and sat on the bed, finishing the drying of his hair.

That man in the biggest bedroom was not his father. Deidara hated him. He had never hated anyone, but he was sure this was how it felt: A hot sickening bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He had no right. _No right!_ No right at _all_, to hurt his mommy like that! She had screamed and pleaded to be released and Nagato had only laughed. That sick, disgusting sound that gave Deidara chills. His left arm still hurt from having been thrown against the wall. He was sure Seiryu hurt more, though, and decided not to mention it to her.

It was Saturday, Deidara suddenly remembered, Seiryu's shift would start at 9:00 a.m. today and end at four in the morning. This meant Deidara would have all day to roam around town- staying home alone with Nagato was the equivalent of suicide.

A soft knock at the door startled Deidara out of his thoughts.

"H-Hai?" Deidara said nervously.

"It's me, hon," came Seiryu's voice.

"Oh."

He strode across the room and opened the door. Seiryu came in. She had just showered, Deidara knew, because of the strong scent of her strawberry shampoo. She was holding her semi-dry hair up in a ponytail, the bangs, as always, were being held back by a butterfly clip. She was also smiling.

"'Morning, Dei," she said cheerfully. "It's one hour 'till my shift...what do you say we go out for a while?"

Deidara could not believe it. How was she so calm when Nagato had done...that to her? He did not want to make her sad or worry her so he smiled instead.

"Alright," he replied happily.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Aw...kawaii!!" Seiryu squealed once Deidara hopped off the chair. She ran a hand through his freshly cut hair.

"Arigato, hm..."

"Awww! Do that little 'hm' again...it-is-so-_cuuute!!"_

It took a while for Seiryu to calm down.

"Excuse me," she said to the brunette woman who had cut Deidara's hair. "Do you sell hair gel?"

"Right over here," the woman replied, leading Seiryu away.

A few minutes later, Seiryu and Deidara were sitting on a park bench. Seiryu was busy spreading gel in Deidara's hair, carefully forming tiny little spikes on his head.

"You look so...." she let the sentence hang and squealed, pulling Deidara into a tight hug.

Deidara smiled. "Ow, too tight!" he said, his voice muffled. Both mother and son burst out laughing and Seiryu gasped as she took a look at her watch.

"Oh no, it's ten to nine. C'mon, we have to get you home and I have to get to work..." Seiryu said, stuffing the gel in her purse and grabbing Deidara's hand.

The little blonde nodded, and they raced off to Seiryu's car.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Nagato was not happy. Even worse, he had misunderstood the note. Trouble was imminent the minute they stepped in through the door.

They were almost to Deidara's room when-

"Where the fuck _were_ you?!" came Nagato's voice from his room.

"Oh no..." Seiryu said. "Deidara we gotta leave!"

"Seiryu, you and that brat come back over here!!" Nagato roared.

"Come on, Dei, come on!!" Seiryu said, running back into the living room.

"Ok..."

_"DEIDARA!"_

At the mention of his name, Deidara tried to walk away from his mom and towards the voice. He was stopped when Seiryu had gripped his arm and pulled him back. "No, Dei-kun. We need to go back! And go somewhere safe...you understand, right?"

"Hm," Deidara nodded.

They ran towards the front door. Before Seiryu could even touch it, though, it burst open.

There stood Nagato, his messy blonde hair over his blue eyes, a different, darker blue than his wife and son's. They were filled with rage.

He had probably climbed through the window to meet them at the front door. Deidara stared up into his face, terrified.

Seiryu walked over to her husband's side. "No...Nagato please...not in front of De-"

With a dull thud, Nagato's fist collided with Seiryu's cheek. She crashed into the wall and sank to the floor, her hands over her bleeding mouth.

"WHERE WERE YOU!! YOU WERE WITH _HIM_, WEREN'T YOU?! OFF WITH SOME IDIOT BASTARD, YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD TAKE THE BRAT AND FOOL ME!! YEAH, YOU WERE DON'T LIE TO ME, STUPID BITCH!! I'M _NOT_ FUCKIN' STUPID!!"

"I wasn't with anyone! I swear!! I just took Dei-kun out for a walk-"

Another fist struck her face. Tears glistened in her eyes but she blinked them away.

"Stop it! _Stop it!_ You're hurting her, hm! I won't...I won't let you!" Deidara screamed. He ran forward and used his tiny fists to try and punch every inch of his father he could reach.

To Seiryu's horror, Nagato's foot struck Deidara in the stomach before he could even figure out what was happening. Deidara's mouth opened wide but no sound came out, his eyes widened and he sank to the floor, his hands hugging his stomach.

Seiryu's face flushed a dull red.

_"No!_ Hurt me all you want...but my son...You-you _dare_ hit my son! Sick bastard!"

She ran forward.

There was a loud snap and Seiryu screamed and fell to the floor, landing on her back. Nagato stood in front of her, a gun in his hand, pointed at her. He smirked and lowered the weapon.

Deidara mustered all his strength and scrambled to his feet. He ran to him mom, who was drenched in dark blood. She hugged him tightly, staining his clothes with warm blood but he didn't care.

"Kaasan..._kaasan_..."

Her eyes found his and she smiled weakly. "Dei-kun...I'm sorry. I w-won't get to s-see you grow up i-into a big boy...promise m-me you'll be...be good. Okay? Don't...don't w-worry...you'll be a-alright..."

Deidara blinked tears away and swallowed. He nodded. She was dying. He didn't know how he knew, but he did, and she was dying.

"Aishiteru...Dei-kun..."

"Aishiteru, kaasan!"

And then...something like a light in her eyes seemed to slowly fade so that now her eyes were fixed on Deidara's face. Seiryu's arms slid off Deidara's back and fell with a thud to the floor. Deidara gasped and couldn't hold the tears back any longer.

"No, kaasan!"

But she didn't call back. Deidara stared into her still open eyes, hoping she would blink. But it was no use...her eyes stared without seeing.

_She was dead._

**Nagato's POV**

I suddenly remembered that time I had met Seiryu...

**Flashback (Short)**

_"Ok. It's just...I hate to see a frown on such a pretty face..." I had said. And it was all I had needed to say. She had smiled in an idiotic way and stood there, plain and ugly unlike the cheerleaders I had dated before. But she was easily talked into things, I had just found that out. I had her on the palm of my hand..._

**End Flashback**

I laughed. "Stupid bitch..."

She was stupid indeed. I had fooled her so many times. So many fucking times! And now she was dead. Survival of the fittest, Seiryu...survival of the fittest.

**Normal POV**

"No!" Deidara screamed shrilly, his voice cracked. He grabbed fistfuls of Seiryu's bloody shirt and shook her as hard as he could.

It couldn't be real. This could not be happening. _It could not be happening!_ For years, the woman that now lay dead before him had cared for him, protected him, and loved him. She was gone, the blonde knew this, but refused to believe it. Mother's didn't were always around to tuck you into bed and take you to school. Families. Families were not supposed to be like this. Families were supposed to be happy together and they always smiled and no one killed each other. They always smiled...those wide, happy smiles. Just like in the commercials. Fathers were nice and they played sports or wrestled with their little boys. Deidara was pretty sure that using kids as ashtrays or sticking their heads in the toilet and not letting go till they passed out was not what fathers were supposed to do.

What kind of family _were_ they?! Seiryu was dead, Nagato, her husband, had killed her. Nagato was not a father, Seiryu had _been_ a mother up until five minutes ago. The little blonde buried his face in Seiryu's shoulder. Ironically, she still smelled of her favorite strawberry shampoo. Her hands were still warm to the touch. He closed her eyes for her.

_'There...'_ Deidara thought. _'Now you're just sleeping. Tomorrow you'll wake up.'_

But she _wasn't._

And she _wouldn't._

It was Nagato's fault. All of it. Nagato had screwed up his life- he was only six years old! He couldn't help anyone, not even himself. Didn't Nagato care, even just a little? Couldn't he see what he was doing to Deidara? What had he done that Nagato hated him so much?! It was at this point that Deidara decided that this man was no more than a stranger to him. He was...just there. Just another person in the house. Not even a person. There was no way Nagato was human. He was a _monster!_ A cruel, sick son of a bitch who deserved to burn for all eternity in the deepest pits of Hell.

A sudden fury washed over Deidara and he cried harder, hating himself- hating Nagato too.

**"I HATE YOU!"** Deidara yelled, turning to face Nagato.

"Really, now?" Nagato muttered amusedly.

"YOU...YOU KILLED MY MOM! YOU KILLED HER! _BASTARD!"_ Deidara yelled. He had never used a bad word before and he had to admit it was a bit scary, but it felt good. He could not deny it felt good to tell this man what he was.

Nagato stepped closer to Deidara. He raised the gun and put it to Deidara's forehead. The blonde froze, his eyes both looking at the gun between his eyes, his mouth slightly open.

"One more _word!_" Nagato roared, pushing the gun forcefully at Deidara's forehead. "One more _fucking_ word, and I'll blow your fucking head off, I wouldn't think twice, you're worth about as much as dog shit, I hope you know that..."

It was as if Deidara's tears had evaporated. He could not cry, he could not speak. He couldn't even move. All he could do was stand there, crosseyed from looking at the gun, silent. Was Nagato telling him the truth? It was hard not to believe.

"Alright then," Nagato said. He stuffed the gun in his pocket and crouched down, grabbing Seiryu's purse. He rummaged through it and took her money. He then proceeded to wipe down the gun and purse with a cloth. Then he grabbed Seiryu's limp body and picked it up.

Deidara looked up in alarm, still unable to speak, but the message was clear. Nagato chuckled. "Relax, I'm just...taking her out for a ride..."

And with that said, he grabbed his keys and was out the back door, leaving a trail of blood.

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**HOLY CRAP THAT TOOK FOREVER TO WRITE!! But I'm very glad I got it done :) I almost got killed when my brother saw it, (he reads the chapters and reviews before they get posted), he said how could I have been such a bitch and I deserved to die but that it was a good chapter all the same. I hope you guys think the same!! R&R please?! Arigato!! Ja ne!**


	6. The News

**I'm glad you guys like the story! But, I'm running out of time so I can't get your names sorry! Anyways, thank you so much for reviewing (you know who you are!) and enjoy!**

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Nagato spent the next few days pretending to have gone into a spiraling depression, randomly bursting into tears when in the presence of police officers. When they were gone, however, it was Deidara who would cry.

The officers asked questions, some to Nagato, some to Deidara. Both of them lied through their teeth heavily, but skillfully, a skill Deidara was not proud of. The police investigation was going nowhere and the Missing Persons department was getting restless. They had other cases to handle, and with no clues or leads of any kind, they were stuck with one of the strangest cases they'd seen in years: A woman who had disappeared off the face of the earth without leaving a single clue.

It was on Thursday that the police told Nagato that they were beginning to consider dropping the case. Every day that passed, the chances of finding her alive grew smaller and smaller, like an ice cube in water. They'd been looking for her for almost a week, they told a tearful Nagato, too many days had gone by and, for all they knew, she could be dead.

Deidara, who'd been threatened by Nagato to follow along with the story, listened and said nothing. He looked up at the uniformed men, not understanding what they were saying. His head hurt too badly, consequence of not having slept more than fifteen minutes each night since Saturday. Purplish, bruise-like bags hung under the little blonde's eyes and his skin was ashen, giving him the look of someone who had neither home nor food. Nobody seemed to notice, however. Just like nobody seemed to notice the burns on Deidara's fingers that he had received from the stove. He had to eat, and Seiryu had never had the chance to teach him how to cook. Instead, pain taught him how.

"Is there a chance she may have...forgive me...um, run off with someone?" said the tallest of the officers, a dark-haired man in his early forties. He had chocolate brown eyes and a matching mustache that made him look serious but somehow depressed.

Nagato feigned surprise and offense. "_Excuse me?_ My Seiryu, running off with someone? I won't hear of it! Spare me your idiotic comments. My wife was not a cheater...I know she wasn't. We loved each other like no two people have loved before and we were very close..."

"I apologize but I had to ask..." the officer said, looking uncomfortable.

"I s'ppose you're right..." Nagato replied, avoiding the officer's gaze.

"I just had to ask. We called Amegakure Hospital and Akira down there was good enough to talk to us. He reckons coroners don't usually, er...go on 'business trips' as your wife had told you. She worked alright on Friday but never showed up on Saturday. We also talked to your neighbors but they were fairly uncooperative-"

"We don't get along with our neighbors much and in this neighborhood, we tend to keep to ourselves," Nagato cut in.

"I see," said the officer. "Well, we'll call you if anything comes up; we have our best men on the job. See you, sir. Take care of yourself, and your son."

They shook hands and the other officers nodded grimly before leaving the house, the door making a sharp snap as they closed the door behind them.

_"Take me with you!"_ Deidara meant to say, but the words never escaped his lips.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

The following Friday, Nagato received the already-known news: Seiryu had been found dead. The next day, two officers were at their door.

"Hello," said an officer. He was not the same one as before. He was average height with brown hair that looked as if it had the texture of dental floss. He had solemn green eyes that were fixed in a piercing gaze. His mouth was a thin line above a wide chin.

He was followed by another, taller, officer with a crew cut that made it seem as though his head was covered in black fuzz. His eyes were a murky brown and a scar running across his upper lip.

"You'd better come in," Nagato said. "I just put my son to bed. Do you gentlemen want anything to drink?"

He stepped aside for the officers and closed the door.

"No thank you, we're fine," said the officer with the scar. "I'm Officer Inouye and this is Officer Kokubo."

They stepped into the living room and sat on the old couches. Nagato sat on the couch facing the two officers, who stared back at him.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Deidara was in the process of eavesdropping at the landing of the stairs. He had always had excellent eyesight and could see perfectly well what was going on below.

"Are you entirely sure your son is sleeping?" said Officer Kokubo, pulling out a file folder from the suitcase he was carrying.

Nagato nodded. "Positive."

"Alright then," Officer Kokubo continued. "I'm afraid we're the ones who have to fill you in on the details of your wife's death."

"There is absolutely no doubt it was murder. We found your wife down by a river a few miles north from here. Her body...her body was dumped there approximately a week ago, according to forensic evidence. She was bloated and there were early signs of putrefaction. We found her in a black trash bag. No prints were found. Her purse was with her, somebody took all of her money-"

"D-Did she suffer?" Nagato cut in, fake tears running down his face.

Inouye paused. "She...She was shot in the stomach....According to the autopsy report, the bullet severed her abdominal aorta. She lived less than a minute after being shot. According to the report, she may have died sometime between eight a.m and nine a.m. Saturday morning."

Nagato gave a great howl, covering his face with his hands. "Oh God...I was hoping she hadn't suffered...Do you have any idea who did it...or why?"

This time, it was Kokubo who spoke. "From what you tell us, along with our other sources, there is no rational motive that we can think of. We have no leads as to who did it. What we do know, however, is that whoever did it will most likely be charged with first-degree murder. I do not believe this was a random incident. I think she was followed, and whoever did this planned it for quite some time. There's no doubt about it- someone knew who she was, _where_ she was, and probably knew her previously."

"We have photos of the crime scene..." said Inouye tentatively, taking the folder from Officer Kokubo.

"I'd like to see them..." Nagato said, much to the officers' surprise.

Four eight-by-ten photographs were placed on the coffee table separating Nagato from the officers. From above, Deidara could see the pictures clearly, and he nearly wet himself.

In the first was a picture of Seiryu's body, lying naked at the riverbank, the black plastic bag in which she had been found was lying torn beside her, under her purse. She lay spread-eagle on the ground, her hair spread out around her face, on the ground, some of it now wet because of the river. Her body was covered in blood, her head facing to one side. Her legs were spread wide apart and blood had dried on her legs. Her body was bloated, her skin had taken on a yellowish, waxy complexion. Her closed eyes seemed sunken and her lips were gray. The tips of her fingers were beginning to turn purplish, as were her toes. She was surrounded by pebbles and grass, the beauty of the background contrasted heavily with the macabre scene in front of it.

Nagato gasped and cried harder.

The second picture was a close up on the gun-shot wound on Seiryu's stomach. Dry blood was caked around the bullet hole. A could of her lower intestine was visible, a horrible gray, bulging through the hole.

Deidara could suddenly feel his dinner coming back up. He covered his mouth with his hands and fought the feeling of nausea down, crying silently. He dropped to his knees, hugging the railing.

Up came the third picture and Deidara could see a second close up to his mother's gun-shot. A small plastic ruler had been placed next to the wound to measure how wide it was. Deidara could not see the numbers on the ruler, nor did he want to.

"The medical examiner tells us whoever shot her probably used a thirty-two," said Inouye said quietly. "We looked for the weapon but couldn't find one. We're still searching for it."

The fourth picture was a picture of Seiryu lying on the ground, but from another angle. In this shot, one could clearly see the blood that had dried on her stomach and legs.

"Oh God..." Nagato muttered, pushing the pictures away, holding his head in his arms. "Please tell me that's all..."

Kokubo looked hesitant. "There's also the matter that she was raped. After she died, I mean. Then, something sharp, a knife maybe was forced up-"

Deidara covered his ears and ran silently back to his room. He didn't want to hear anymore.

Deidara felt nothing. The photos had hit him with the hard truth: Seiryu was dead. She was _really_ dead. The photos proved it, they proved it! She was never coming back. It was as if his interior process was held in suspended animation, the pause button on life had been pushed. How was it _possible?_ How was it possible that Seiryu was gone? Now, Deidara realized with a horrible jolt, that he could hardly remember his mother's face. Her image was a slow-healing scar. Still there, but fading- only a few things stood out: Her warm smile, her delicate voice, and her sweet-smelling perfume that brought Deidara a sense of comfort. Oddly enough, it seemed that life just went on. It was only eight p.m. Everyone else went on with their lives, probably out eating dinner with their families right now, or sitting at home, watching movies. The would be wrapped up in blankets, keeping out the cold September breeze. The ten o'clock news might mention Seiryu, but only for a good two days, and then everybody would forget. She was just another homicide victim.

_But she was also his mother._

--------------------------------------------------

That's just downright depressing. Even so, I felt it was a good chapter. R&R please? Arigato. Ja ne!


	7. The Storm

**Ok, here's chapter seven I finshed it yesterday at like idk...eleven?? Anyway...I hope you guys like it, enjoy!**

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On Wednesday, Nagato was called down to the police station for what had to be the third time. Seiryu's case was very close to being dropped. The Amegakure Police Department needed to find the killer, and soon. The Homicide Department had other cases to deal with. Nagato, of course, was more than happy to go down to the police station and lie like he'd never lied before.

**Nagato's POV**

I spent no more than ten minutes sitting on a small bench at the police station. Finally, a woman peered out the door from the Investigative Division, looking around. Her eyes came to rest on me. "Nagato-san?"

I nodded and stood up. She led me into a small cubicle with a long wooden table and two chairs. She sat, indicating for me to do the same at the same time she put her legal pad and pen on the sturdy table before us.

"We appreciate you coming in. I am Lieutenant Inouye," she said.

"Pleased. I may be mistaken, but could you possibly have a brother working here?" I asked. I was not stalling, just curious to know who I was dealing with.

"Yes. You're referring to my older brother, Tatsuya."

"Ah..."

She smiled. Lieutenant Inouye was everything but plain. She had dark hair cut into layers that ended just above her delicate shoulders. From what I had seen only a few seconds ago, she had a spectacular body and she walked with an air that suggested she knew just how stunning she looked. It appeared that she wore no makeup at all (not that she needed it), but I could have been mistaken. My blue eyes bored into her dark ones, I used the same charm with her that I had used on Seiryu. A small smile seemed to be tempting her plump lips. She blinked and looked away.

"Well, I have a few questions for you," she began. She took me through a series of questions on the day of Seiryu's "disappearance" and how the kid had handled it. She asked me a number of pointed questions about Seiryu's statements regarding her "business trip" and her job. I told her everything I told the cops, sighing and shrugging at all the right moments. All the while, she kept her head down, scribbling away on her legal pad, but I knew she was just trying to avoid my gaze.

"When did you last talk to Seiryu?" she asked.

I blinked rapidly and felt my eyes burn with fake tears. My hesitance made her look up into my tear-filled eyes. I bit my lower lip and looked straight into her eyes. "Tuesday night. She was worried for Deidara, wanted to make sure he got enough to eat and went to sleep on his bedtime, you know. She told me she loved me and that she'd be back in a week. Said she'd try an' call on Friday or the weekend. Never did..."

I stopped, giving a dramatic sob for effect.

"I'm sorry, it's just...she looked so beautiful that day. She was a great person, a great wife. Who would do this?" I buried my face in my hands.

"It's what we're trying to figure out," Inouye said quietly, her heart captured by my tears. She handed me a tissue.

I decided it was time to calm down. I took my time, maneuvering my voice with great skill so that the decrescendo of my sobs was perfect. I slowly steadied my shaking body. I was lovedevery minute of this.

"I'm sorry," I said, enjoying the effect of my tears immensely.

"It's understandable," she said. "Would you like some water?"

"No thank you. I'll be fine. It's weird...we knew each other since high school- it was love at first sight. And now she's gone. I can't believe it..." I said, sniffling loudly.

"I wouldn't either. I'm sure she was a great woman," she said, giving me a warm smile.

"Thank you. If you'll allow me to say so, ma'am, you're one great woman yourself," I said, picturing how she'd look lying next to me in bed after a night of intense sex. **_Hot._**

"Thank you. You know, honestly...I think you're a wonderful man and I never would've thought you did anything to hurt your wife. But they called you down here, not me."

"I don't mind it one bit. Anything to help," I replied.

She smiled.

_'What an idiot',_ I thought.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

**Normal POV**

Meanwhile, back at home, Deidara wandered around the house. He had been crying all day and was out of tears, his eyes were red and puffy, and his face streaked with tears. He had nothing to do and was feeling very lonely.

The clothes had been hung out to dry. Fortunately, he had spent enough time with Seiryu to learn how to use the washer. He did not know how to iron, but he didn't mind that much. He had vacuumed the house, but not the rooms upstairs. The vacuum was much too heavy for him to carry up the stairs. He would try to ask Nagato to carry it upstairs for him later.

Deidara walked downstairs, looking around sadly. He realized that all of the pictures that had been hung up around the house were now missing. Seiryu's scent was slowly disappearing from the house. Everyday the little blonde walked into his mother's room, only to find the comforting scent of strawberries growing fainter. He missed her so much it hurt.

He spotted a large envelope sitting on the dinner table and approached it. He turned it over and saw, with a jolt, that it was addressed to him. He ripped it open, and at least twenty different hand-drawn cards fell out and onto the table. Deidara took a seat in one of the chairs and grabbed a random letter.

_Dear Deidara,_

_I know these past days have been very hard on you and we were very sorry to hear about your mother. I hope you know that she is in a better place now, even though she is not with you. If there's anything I can do to help you, just ask. I'm a single mother myself and know how hard it is for one parent to raise a child. Don't feel lonely, Deidara. There are many people in this world who care about you: Your father, me, and all of your classmates who were kind enough to make these wonderful cards for you.  
We look forward to seeing you back at school soon. You are an excellent student, a very bright boy. I'm sure your mother was very proud of you. I'm sure your father is too. He doesn't know how lucky he is to have you!  
Please accept these cards from your classmates. They put a lot of effort into them and they care very much about you._

_Your teacher,_

_Ibiki-sensei_

Suddenly, Deidara was angry. Of course, they had to send cards. They pretended to care when they hardly spoke to Deidara at all. Ibiki probably didn't even remember his name or knew he was gone until she took attendance. They didn't know the pain he felt! They were liars, all of them. Deidara took up another card:

_Dear Deidara,_

_Im realy sorry about your mom. But at least you can rememer the good times. I hope to see you back at scool soon._

_Sinserily,_

_Hoshigaki Kisame_

Deidara tossed the card on the floor, infuriated. What did he know?! He didn't care about Deidara! He didn't even know him. In fact, Kisame had only spoken to Deidara once, and that had been to say, "Oi, you're blocking the entrance, girl..."

Deidara sifted through the pile, growing angrier still. He finally found the card he was looking for:

_Der Dedara,_

_Don't fell sad about your mom. At lest you hav your dad. Come bak to schooll soon._

_Akasuna No Sasori_

That stupid redhead! Deidara hated him, yet here was his letter, badly drawn and horribly misspelled. It was short and stupid and Deidara knew that idiot redhead didn't care at all. None of these people did! _None of them!_ A wave of fury washed over him and he flung the cards off the table.

"You don't even know!" he screamed at the cards, as if somehow they would carry the message back to their creators. "You don't even know how much it hurts! It hurts a lot and you act like you care!"

He put his head down on the table just as the sky gave a loud rumble. Deidara jumped off the chair, startled, and slipped on the cards and fell to the floor, hitting his head on the floor.

Maybe it was the pain. Maybe it was all the built up rage or grief. It didn't matter. Next thing Deidara knew, he was crying. He was crying so hard, his stomach hurt. He had never cried so much. Never in his life. He grabbed the cards and tore them up, one by one, thinking of Nagato. He tore them up into itty-bitty pieces, as if somehow, the damage would be transmitted to Nagato in the form of excruciating pain- a punishment well deserved.

The sky rumbled again, and a flash of light illuminated the house. Afraid, Deidara turned off the kitchen light and ran upstairs. He grabbed his teddy bear and ran back down the stairs and into the living room. He turned on the T.V. and began to go through the channels, searching for the news.

At last he found the afternoon news.

A woman appeared on the screen. She tucked a loose lock of dark-brown hair behind her ear, smiled, and looked into the camera with emerald green eyes.

"This is Matsuyama Shiori reporting for ANS." the camera angle changed and she turned. An icon hovered next to her head, bearing rain clouds and thunder. The words "Weather Report" appeared neatly under the clouds. "We have just been informed of a major thunderstorm that is hitting Amegakure. Right now, Amegakure is under Flood Watch. The storm is expected to hit with full force by eight o'clock today and will bring us rain all throughout the following week. As with all situations as critical as this, we recommend that you stay indoors and do not go out unless it is absolutely necessary-"

Deidara changed the channel. He was scared. This meant Nagato would not be coming home, surely the police department would not let him head home in the storm? The single downside to this was that Deidara would be sitting at home alone.

The phone rang and Deidara sprang up.

"Moshi moshi?" Deidara said quietly.

"Deidara? This is Lieutenant Inouye. Where's Kazuki-san?" said a woman's voice. "I'm here with your father at the police station."

_Kazuki?_ Who was _that?_ But Deidara realized that Nagato must've told a lie of some sort and decided to play along. "Um...Kazuki is in the shower. He'll be out in a sec, ma'am."

"Oh, that's all right, honey. I just wanted to tell him that he's gonna have to stay at your house until the storm ceases. It'll be about a week. The rain's too thick right now to take your daddy anywhere far so we're dropping him off with a friend of his who's house is very close to the police station. You don't mind having Kazuki take care of you for a week?"

Deidara nearly burst into tears. "Not at all, ma'am. We'll be fine."

"It's settled then. Well, I hope you're ok, honey. Bye-bye."

"Bye-bye..." Deidara hung up. Clearly, this "Kazuki" person was a made up someone that was supposed to be taking care of Deidara while Nagato was at the police station. He wouldn't see Nagato all week. Better for Deidara, who appreciated his good health too much.

The blonde walked into the kitchen and turned on the light. The whole house was dark, all of the windows shut and their shades closed. No outside light was able to penetrate through the shades, not that there was any outside light.

Deidara could hear the rain splashing against the windows. He looked at the clock. It was three in the afternoon. He had not eaten at all the whole day and his stomach absolutely hated him. He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a small bowl covered with plastic wrap and filled with rice. It was the last bit of Seiryu's cooking left in the house. Deidara wolfed it down on the spot, not even bothering with utensils. His hands were good enough.

He was still hungry and looked into the refrigerator again; the empty rice bowl was now sitting expectantly in the sink. Deidara came up with a delicious-looking apple. He was a bit cautious about eating it, he'd had a loose tooth for a while now and eating hard things hurt his mouth.

**Flashback**

_"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mooooommmmyyy!!!" Deidara yelled from the bathroom. It was nearly his bedtime, the only ones home were him and Seiryu, and so he was free to yell to his heart's content._

_"I'm coming, honey!" Deidara heard her footsteps on the stairs and then she peered into the bathroom. "What is it?"_

_"Look!!" Deidara yelled. He opened his mouth wide for her and used his index finger to wiggle one of his front teeth. "Look! I have a loose tooth, like you said I would!!"_

_"Wow! My little boy's growing up!" Seiryu said cheerfully. She stepped into the bathroom and gave him a hug. "You know what to do once it falls out, right?"_

_"Put it under my pillow," Deidara said knowledgeably. "I'll get money for it!"_

_"Right!" Seiryu said. "From here on, the rest of your teeth will start falling out and you'll grow bigger ones."_

_"Wow! Really?" Deidara said, wiggling his tooth with his tongue. It was fun. "I'm gonna be rich!"_

_"Really! Now, come on, 'Rich Man'. Let's get you to bed!"_

**End Flashback**

Deidara winced and removed the apple from his mouth. Something small fell to the floor. It was his tooth! Deidara picked it up, feeling the now empty space where his tooth had been. It was weird- kind of slimy. Deidara could taste blood, but it didn't matter. He was going to get money! He ran upstairs and put the tooth under his pillow. He was sad that Seiryu was not here to see it, but it didn't matter.

"My tooth fell out, mommy!" Deidara said to no one in particular. "You were right!"

He ran back down the stairs, ignoring the twinge of pain that hit him. Seiryu was dead, she could not hear him. Nevertheless, there was still a tiny part of him that was in denial about everything.

He ate the rest of his apple cautiously; watching old episodes of _Ranma 1/2_ while the rain outside beat against the windows.

* * *

**Eeeek! Deidara is just so cute and irresistible!! Aww. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! R&R please? Thanks!!**


	8. Kashi Akane

**Wow. I can't even think of words to say how grateful I am to you guys!! Thank you so much for your support =] This chapter was able to be written sooner than I thought. My mother's screaming at me to get off the computer so I'm not able to get the names of you guys who reviewed but I'll do it for the next chapter =] Thank you so much for your support!! I'm proud to say I find this chapter good enough to dedicate it to Carmen R.I.P. Enjoy guys. Enjoy Carmen. ^ ^  
**

* * *

It was Wednesday, the storm seemed to be slowing down a bit, but not by much. Deidara sat, alone, in the living room hugging his teddy bear. The T.V. was on, Shiori was busy reporting on the weather but Deidara was not really watching, more like staring at the windows on which the rain continued to pound like some kind of angry animal. The sky gave a loud rumble and the T.V. screen flickered but remained on. Deidara let out a shrill scream that echoed throughout the house, scaring him further. He squeezed the teddy harder, closing his eyes as if that would make the storm go away. He had never been afraid of storms- why _now? _What was _wrong _with him?

Another loud rumble ripped through the calm feeling that had just begun to overcome Deidara. He screamed, the T.V. flickered and turned off, drenching the living room in impenetrable darkness.

This time, really scared, Deidara burst into tears. He hugged the bear and curled up into a little ball. He waited a few minutes for more loud rumbles but none came. He suddenly realized he was hungry- he had not eaten all day and his recent scare had alerted him of this. The little blonde crawled off the couch and felt his way through the living room to the kitchen. He tried the light switch. No good. He felt for the handle of the refrigerator door but decided to search in the cabinets instead- Seiryu had always told him not to open the refrigerator when the power was out. Why he had no idea.

He opened a cabinet, feeling around the shelves. His small hand found a box. He shook it and brought it out, seeing that it was a cookie box. Delighted, Deidara tucked both box and teddy under his arm, deciding to go up to his room. He had not set foot in there since Nagato had left. All these days he had slept on the couch with his teddy, using a warm blanket from the hall closet.

Deidara hissed in discomfort as he entered the room- it was freezing in there! He made a dash to his bed and slipped in between the stone-cold covers. He sat there, eating cookies. When he finally fell asleep, he did not know.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Wake up, kid..." Nagato's voice came from a thousand miles away. "C'mon get ready so you can freakin' leave..."

_'To school?'_ Deidara thought.

Someone slapped Deidara in the face. He cried out in pain and opened his eyes. He sat up, Nagato was already walking away. "Your food's on the table," Nagato grumbled.

Surprised at his father's sudden personality change, but still cautious, Deidara hopped out of bed.

"Thank you," he murmured in a small voice. He left his room and stepped into the bathroom for a quick bath.

After the bath, he dressed and ran downstairs, taking his backpack with him. Nagato was nowhere in sight- he had probably gone back to sleep. Deidara sat at the dinner table, where a wrinkled brown bag sat. Deidara's food turned out to be a half-finished soda bottle and two cupcakes probably purchased at a gas station. Deidara didn't care, he ate it all and then ran upstairs to brush his teeth. He slipped on his favorite black sweater with his name sewn on the back, put on his backpack, and was out the door, knowing well that Nagato would not even think of giving him a ride.

XxXxXxXxX

"We're having a class project!" Ibiki exclaimed.

Many students cheered, Deidara was one of the few that looked at her with continued indifference.

"You guys have learned all the colors, or should have, by now. You and two other people will make a book using the color you've learned. I'll be naming the groups now: Kisame, Itachi, and Zetsu. Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko. Mikku, Megumi, and Kyo. Deidara, Hidan, and Kakuzu-"

Deidara put his head down on the table. His first day back had already taken a turn for the worst. It wasn't fair. He was afraid of Hidan, but he'd never even met Kakuzu.

Ibiki went on, finally, Sasori was partnered with Orochimaru and Hiyori. Ibiki began to hand out crayins and pre-made blank books.

"You can ask Hidan or Kakuzu to teach you the colors you didn't learn," Ibiki said kindly, handing Deidara a box of crayons.

"It's alright. I know the colors already," Deidara replied.

"Alright then," Ibiki said, careful to keep the doubt out of her voice.

It was a good thing Deidara knew his colors because, twenty minutes into the project-

"No, stupid! This is _green!"_ Kakuzu scolded Hidan, holding up a red crayon.

"Actually...it's red," Deidara said quietly.

Hidan and Kakuzu both fell silent and looked at Deidara, who had not uttered a single word since they had begun.

Kakuzu held up the red crayon. "You know all your colors?" he asked. He bent over a blank page on the book and began to draw an apple.

Ten minutes later, the three boys were talking rapidly, their book was just about done.

"That's cool, though, at least you have your dad," said Hidan, picking up a yellow crayon to color a sun. "Both my parents are dead...I can't remember them..."

Deidara paused, looking up at Hidan, whose violet eyes reflected grief rather than mischief. Hidan's fake smile faltered a little and he turned back to his half-colored sun, not saying anything. Kakuzu turned to look at Deidara.

"Well, my parents...see, they're not my real parents. There's this thing called 'adopshen' or something...adoption I think? I don't know but they, like, gave me away to some strangers," Kakuzu said, his tone bitter.

Deidara looked from Hidan to Kakuzu's green eyes. He had never imagined the pain their mischievous smiles masked.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

At lunch, Hidan and Kakuzu invited Deidara to sit with them and their friends. They sat at one of the long cafeteria tables and introduced Deidara to Nagato (who preferred his rather odd nickname, Pein), Konan, Yahiko, Orochimaru, Itachi, Kisame, Zetsu, and Sasori, who refused to look at the blonde.

They ate their lunch, talking amongst themselves. Deidara smiled.

_'See, Kaasan?' _He thought. _'You were right! I have friends now!'_

Friends that, though he knew not, would grow up beside him from here on through the rest of his life.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

It was raining again when the last bell rang. Deidara said goodbye to his new friends and walked home. He thought about asking Nagato for money so he could buy some groceries- their refrigerator was almost empty.

The rain pounded down on Deidara, soaking his clothes, weighing him down. He kept walking, hoping now that he could get home before Nagato so he could change into some warm, dry clothes. Unfortunately, for him, Nagato was home. Even worse, he wasn't alone.

Deidara stood alone in the rain, looking in through the window, one hand resting on the doorknob. He looked as Nagato's hands traveled on the body of a woman who wasn't Seiryu. Deidara blinked away tears, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. Had Nagato replaced Seiryu already? She wasn't a returnable item from the store, who could be taken down to** 'Customer Service'** and replaced with a better one! And then...

...they kissed. Deidara felt the kiss poison him, further shattering his already broken heart. He ran, hopping over puddles and pushing people out of his way, blinded by hot tears and the bubbling rage he felt.

**Kashi Akane's POV**

It was Thursday and I was, as usual, heading home from school. I walked slowly, gripping my pink flowery umbrella in my right hand as I carefully stepped over puddles. I had to get home, the fog would rise soon and I would be unable to see my way home.

I stepped over a puddle when suddenly something small and yellow collided with me. I stumbled back but remained my balance. I looked down at the thing that had bumped into me, only to find that it was a little kid, probably no more that five years old. He had landed in a puddle, as if he wasn't soaked enough. He was crying uncontrollably and was shaking, his skin was taking on a blueish tinge from the cold rain.

"I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" I asked, kneeling down. "Sorry! I'll help you up..."

I couldn't help apologizing so much, it was just the way I was. I stretched out my hand to him. He opened his eyes- they were a gorgeous azure. He saw my hand and slapped it away. I gasped, surprised, and yanked my hand back.

"Your mom will be worried," I said, deciding to ignore the fact that he had just hit me. I was a patient person. "I'll walk you home..."

"My mom's dead, she won't be worried," the boy said, and I was surprised by the harsh tone of his voice.

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling stupid. "But your dad-"

"He's too busy with his new girlfriend. Besides, he's not my dad, I_ hate _him!"

_Ouch. _Score one for the little guy.

I stared at him, wondering what to do. I couldn't possibly leave him in the rain, alone. That was what I hated about myself- I could not help but wanting to help other people. I thought about my mom, Aoi, alone back home. It would just be me and her for dinner tonight. It was always me and her since dad had died. We had grown closer, but nevertheless, there was some sort of growing gap between us that only a father and husband could fill. The loneliness was just too much to bear and I cried myself to sleep every night now. I had never lost my smile though, I couldn't. I _wouldn't._

"Hey, you want to come to my house for dinner? It's the least I can do," I asked, hoping with all my heart he would say yes.

He looked up at me, his expression unreadable.

I laughed. "C'mon, it's either that, or you stay out here in the rain..."

"Alright," he replied. I helped him up and he walked beside me, both of us under my umbrella.

xXxXxXxXxXx

"You live here?" said the blonde, whose name I had just found out was Deidara.

We stood outside Kashi Shop, Amegakure's smallest but one of the most successful family-owned business. A few years back, both my mom and dad ran the then booming business. I missed those days.

"Yup," I said. "By the way...I never told you might last name, that might explain it. It's Kashi."

"Ohhh," he muttered.

We went inside. The door was open just for me, but the shop was closed because of the rain.

_"Tadaima!" _I called into the empty-looking shop. It wasn't though, my mother stopped filling an empty shelf with boxes and looked up. "Akane! Where were you?"

She was a short, plump woman with brown eyes, brown hair, and fair skin. She wore a blue apron with the words_ 'Kashi Shop- Kashi Aoi'_ stitched on its front. Her eyes fell on Deidara and she smiled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Hello!"

"Kaasan, this is Deidara. I found him out alone in the rain...He's really nice and I was wondering if he could stay for dinner," I said.

We walked to the back of the shop with Deidara following. We came to a corner next to a shelf and climbed up the stairs. We came up into our house, or rather, our apartment. It was just the second floor of Kashi shop, fixed up with furniture, running water, and electricity to accommodate a widow and her ten-year-old daughter.

"It's not much but it's home," I said happily, removing my backpack and putting it next to the wall.

"It's awesome," Deidara said, looking around. I could see a sparkle in his eyes that had certainly not been there before.

"How about I heat some leftovers from yesterday? I'm sorry, I didn't have any time at all to cook dinner," my mother said apologetically, heading into the kitchen.

"Anything is good!" Deidara said.

"I forgot! First, you need to change into something dry," my mother said, coming out of the kitchen.

Five minutes later, Deidara was wearing clean clothes that had once belonged to my little cousin, who lived with us once upon a time. They fit him perfectly. My mother put Deidara's clothes in the washer and then headed to the kitchen again.

"C'mon, I'll give you a tour. It won't take long- the place is small," I said, motioning for Deidara to follow.

"Well...you're obviously you're in the living room. Over there's the kitchen," I pointed to a door less entry leading into a small kitchen. It consisted merely of a small refrigerator, a stove/oven, a small sink, and a microwave with a radio sitting on it.

Deidara followed me into the hallway, which branched off into two rooms.

"This," I said, pointing to the left room. "Is the bathroom. The other is the bedroom me and mom share."

I turned around and saw tears forming in his eyes. Of course, his mom. I must have awakened some suppressed memory about her by talking about my mother. What an idiot.

"I'm sorry about your mother." I said, and I meant it.

Deidara sniffed and rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. He mumbled something inaudible.

There was something about Deidara. Something that made me feel like I'd known him all my life and I was comfortable around him. There had been no awkward moments, not even now. I felt like myself around him, like he was someone I could speak to without being afraid. Not like the kids at school.

**Flashback**

_I stood, alone, at the door of the classroom, on hand on the door frame. I stepped in and an eerie silence washed over my classmates. I looked around, found Ken'ichi, and smiled. His chocolate eyes widened and he turned away from me. What was that about? I caught Haru's eye and he, too, turned away, his big brown eyes avoiding me._

_Whispers broke out amongst both my friends and unspoken-to classmates. I felt tears sting my eyes- they were talking about me! I knew they were!_

_I heard someone's voice, somehow magnified a thousand times louder than the rest:_

_"I heard they went broke and don't have anything to eat since her dad died!"_

_I heaved a great sob and ran out of the classroom, down the zigzagging hall. Never had I cried so much! Not even at daddy's funeral! His funeral...all of our savings had gone into his funeral and even that hadn't been enough for a decent one. It was true, sometimes we didn't have anything to eat! I cried- I cried becayse it was all true! We depended entirely now on Kashi Shop's slow business-_

"Akane! Deidara! Dinner's ready!"

My mother's voice jerked me out of my thoughts and I looked over at Deidara, whose tears were gone and his face showed happiness once more.

We went into the kitchen, breathing in the mixed smells of rice and fish. Diedara's stomach growled. We looked at each other and laughed.

After dinner, we all sat in the living room. At the table, we had talked about Deidara's mother. My own mother seemed positively appalled at Deidara's accusations against his father. I, on the other hand, had heard Deidara's hate filled voice in the rain:

"He's busy with his new girlfriend. Besides, he's not my father, I hate him..."

The powerful hatred that emanated from his was too great for Deidara to have been lying. It was as if there was an unspoken-of connection between all kids and we could all understand each other, no matter how young.

"What is your father going to do about the funeral?" my mother asked, watching Deidara wolf down his rice.

Deidara hesitated. "We don't have enough money for a funeral, but I know if we did he wouldn't give her a proper funeral anyway....my mom's side of the family is taking care of it. They live somewhere else, I don't know where..." he replied a little sadly.

"What time is it?" I asked, preventing my mother from bombarding Deidara with her newly acquired arsenal of painful questions.

My mother understood what I was aiming for and shot me an apologetic look. She got up to look at the clock.

"I'm sorry about that...I hope you don't think we're weird," I said quietly, feeling like an idiot as I said it.

"Don't worry about it. I have to put up with it at school...I miss her a lot, but...I'll be alright,"

I opened my mouth to say something comforting, but my mother's voice was louder than mine:

"Wow, it's late! Akane, it's almost your bedtime!"

I sighed. Leave it to my mother to shout it out to the world that I had a bedtime.

"Deidara," my mother said, stepping into the living room. "Would you like to sleep over? I can give you your dry uniform in the morning. I'll give you a ride to school. If it's okay with your dad-"

I shot my mother a warning look and raised my eyebrow. She seemed to get the message.

"I meant...um, you know where the bathroom is, so you can go take a hot shower," my mom corrected herself, though Deidara seemed to have not made notice of her mistake.

Deidara's face brightened. "Oh wow! Can I?"

He tuned to look at me. "Can I?" he repeated.

I laughed. "Why're you asking me? This is your home now too, Dei-kun. I have a feeling we'll be good friends."

"No you won't," my mother said.

I turned to look at her, shocked. "What?"

She smiled. "You'll be good _siblings..."_

_

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_**=] I couldn't leave Dei-kun without a mother!! Akane had to come along! Now you see how far backAkane and Dei-kun go =] well, R&R people! Arigato gozaimasu!! Ja ne =]  
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	9. Deidara's Plan

**Hello you wonderful wonderful people =] My internet is being a bitch and won't let me see who reviewed, nor will it let me see the pages of my favs. It took forever to get to the stupid Document Manager T.T But I want you guys to know that I really appreciate your reviews!! Enjoy!**

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The next Monday, Akane did not show up at the entrance gates after school. Instead, Haru was there, holding a small box lunch stacked on top of two folded pairs of pants. Deidara did not see him as he walked out.

"Oi, blondie," said Haru as Deidara walked by him.

"Hm?" Deidara turned back, slightly annoyed at being called "blondie". "Oh, hi."

Haru held out the lunch and clothes."Here, Akane couldn't show up today. I guess her mom gave these to Hoshino sensei. He gave them to me and told me to give them to you. Confusing, I know. I hardly talk to Akane now, so...anyway, she's sick and sensei told me that her mom said not to visit Akane, to go straight home. Not that she doesn't want to see you, but she doesn't want you to get sick too."

"'Kay," said Deidara, disappointed. He took the clothes and food. "Thanks, Haru."

"Ja ne," said Haru, walking away.

"Hm," Deidara sighed and stuffed the clothes in his backpack.

xXx

Deidara sat down at a park bench. It was the same one he and Seiryu had sat on the day Deidara had gotten his hair cut. The day of Seiryu's murder.

Deidara looked down and was surprised to find himself eating the last of his rice. He wolfed down the last bits and then chewed on the ends of his chopsticks, looking at the other kids playing in the playground. Deidara could hear then calling their parents and each other's names. He wanted to play, but something in him had changed. He only felt comfortable around his little group of friends, or the "Akatsuki kids" as they were called by everyone, because they always showed up so early to school. Deep down, Deidara knew he did not belong with the other kids. He belonged with the rest of the Akatsuki, because they shared his pain. Deidara could not bring himself to call Nagato a father. Nagato was dead to Deidara. Konan, Pein, and Yahiko had all lost their parents in one of Amegakure's wars, before Deidara had moved to Amegakure. Sasori's parents had abandoned him at his grandmother's house, he had heard from Hidan. Both Zetsu and Orochimaru said their parents were dead and went no further than that on the subject. Kisame's parents had died in a car crash. Itachi was the only one who still had parents and Deidara knew that everyone, including, him envied the little Uchiha deeply.

Everyone at school had said that Deidara was taking Seiryu's death very well and it made the blonde angry when they said it, because it wasn't true. The truth was that his mother's sudden death had been tearing Deidara apart on the inside- slowly and painfully. He was grateful for Aoi, but the truth was that he could never replace Seiryu. Aoi could never be his mother, as hard as she tried. And she did.

Still, every night he found that he was crying himself to sleep. The house had now been emptied of Seiryu's comforting scent. Her now unused clothing hung in her closet but Deidara could swear that some of her clothes had gone missing.

Something wet fell on Deidara's cheek. Water. He looked up and saw storm clouds in the sky. People were beginning to leave the park. But not Deidara. He refused to go home-because he didn't have a home. A home was a place where a family lived. There was no family living under Deidara's roof. Only a murderer and a motherless six-year-old. That wasn't a home, that wasn't a family! That wasn't _anything!_

As if it wasn't enough, Nagato had cut off all connections with Seiryu's family, saying that they had moved and he wasn't able to pay the phone bill. None of this was true, but then again, Nagato was a skilled liar.

The rain was beginning to fall steadily now, the deep rumble coming from the sky startled Deidara and he jumped up. The sky rumbled again and the rain began to fall harder.

Typical Amegakure weather.

Defeated, Deidara began to walk out of the park. He slipped on a puddle and slammed face-first into a pole. He fell to the floor, too stunned to cry. He could taste blood in his mouth: he had bitten the inside of his cheek. He got up shakily, holding onto the straps of his backpack as if for support. It was going to be a long walk home.

xXx

When Deidara finally _did _get home it was eight-thirty. A thick fog had descended on Amegakure and Deidara had lost his way. He had to guide himself by the neon signs on the stores. He opened the front door and closed it behind him as he came in.

Something flew past him and collided with the wall. It fell to the floor with a dull thunk and lay there. It was a shoe.

"And where were you?!" came Nagato's slurring voice.

He was drunk._ Again._

Deidara looked around, the whole house was dark except from some light coming in from one of the windows, which was how he had been able to tell that the thing Nagato had thrown at him was a shoe. He quietly tried to feel his way to the stairs without crossing the living room so he would not have to face Nagato and his fist. He had been quite happy from not having to greet it in quite a while.

"Don't even...try to get away," Nagato mumbled, and Deidara heard him get up from the couch._ Uh-oh._

Deidara made a run for it, he ran up the stairs and locked himself in the first room he could find. Stupid, stupid,_ stupid! _He had stayed out too late and now Nagato was mad. It was his fault, he was so stupid!

It was now that Deidara realized what room he was in, and he did not like it. He did not like it at all. He was in Nagato's room and he could not think of a worse place to be right now- Nagato had the key to this room. He was doomed, Nagato would find him. If only he had run to his own room! He could hear Nagato's footsteps coming up the stairs and he dived under the bed shaking with fear, trying to hold back his tears, trying so hard not to sob out loud.

"I know you're in there," Nagato said from behind the door.

Deidara shut his eyes tightly, clenched his fists and jaw. He was so stupid! Stupid, stupid stupid!!

**Nagato's POV**

I got the key from my pocket and opened the door. Stupid brat, didn't he know I had a key? He knew he wasn't allowed in my room- no one was allowed in my room. That's why it's called _my_ room!!

I walked inside. Great now I had to _find_ the little fucker. Where could he be? Hiding, like the little coward he was. And that's when I saw him. It was so obvious- so _stupid! _It was hilarious. He was hiding under the bed and his right foot was sticking out from under there. What an idiot. _Really._ Leave it to a total shithead like him to not check if his feet are sticking out. _Genius._

I grabbed his foot and pulled him out from under the bed, holding him two feet off the ground. He screamed, what a girl. He looked at me, his stupid girly eyes wide with fear, and raised up his arms to shield himself. Like that helped, he was a scrawny little faggot, he couldn't hold anyone off! He was weak, like a little girl and I proved that the first time I punched him in the stomach.

His arms dropped and his eyes shut tight, he sobbed and gasped for air. I saw how desperately he coughed and how pale he'd suddenly become. I had to resist the urge to laugh.

"So...where the fuck were you?" I asked, shaking him. He gave a loud cry, probably afraid that I'd drop him. So I did.

He fell to the floor, head-first, onto the carpeted floor. There was a weird pop, probably from his neck, and he lay still on the floor. I poked him with my boot.

"C'mon, get up," I said. "Get up- _AND ANSWER ME!!"_

He coughed softly and sat up, trembling. He seemed to be unable to lift his head correctly, he tried, winced, then looked back down. I grabbed him by the hair and made him stand up- hell, if he didn't do it, I'd do it for him. Sissy. It didn't hurt_ that_ much.

"I was- I was...lost," he replied, speaking to the floor. I released his hair and watched as his knees began to tremble.

"Lost?! Are you_ stupid?" _I roared. How the fuck did he get lost, if he walked home every day?

"The fog...I c-couldn't...couldn't see," he said, sniffling. Tears ran down his face.

He only let out a small squeak when I slapped him. It was a hard one- small droplets of blood sprayed my wall. I watched him as he grimaced, blood leaked out of his mouth and ran down his chin. His knees buckled and he fell to the floor, crying loudly. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." he mumbled.

"Sorry's not enough. You think you make the rules around here? You know what I say! Either come home before six, or _DON'T COME HOME AT ALL!"_

He raised his head off the floor with his trembling arms and nodded. Blood dripped onto his shaking hand and he swallowed, breathing deeply.

"Get up," I said. "Get up and get out."

He struggled to get to his feet, clutching the sides of my bed for support. He stood, his head facing the floor, his whole body shaking. He began to walk to the door, looking quite drunk himself. He stopped at the door and mumbled something inaudible.

"What?" I asked, unable to help myself.

"I hate you," he repeated, his voice loud and bold. He then walked out of the room and into his own, slamming his door hard.

xXx

**Normal POV**

The next day, Nagato left the house early. For what, Deidara did not know. He had simply woken up to find himself home alone.

This was a good thing. Deidara did not plan on going to school. He needed to make a phone call, a very important phone call because he was sick of Nagato. He was sick of getting treated like an animal. Nagato was going to pay.

Deidara got out of bed, looked around his room, and winced. He let out a gasp of pain and froze. His neck- he had really hurt his neck. He remembered that Nagato had made it pop the day before. What had he done? It hurt so badly and Deidara didn't know what to do. He figured he was going to have to be very careful.

And now to carry out his plan.

He grabbed the phone book from the hall closet and the phone from Nagato's room. Then he headed down to the dining room, sat at one of the chairs, and began to flip through the phone book. He couldn't wait.

A few hours later, he was walking down the street, heading towards Kashi Shop to see if Akane was better and to take his mind off Nagato. Deidara arrived there a few minutes later, barely avoiding the rain that was beginning to fall. Aoi let Deidara in, saying just how glad Akane would be to see the little blonde- he'd help her recover so much faster.

He stepped into the shop, the bright light illuminated his face and Aoi gasped. Deidara's cheek was swollen, as was his lower lip. She asked what had happened to his face but the blonde insisted that he had fallen off the swings at school. That was the end of that, Aoi did not ask again.

He burst into Akane's room, she was sitting on her bed, reading. Her hair was droopy and lifeless, her usually rosy cheeks pale. She was picking at a bowl of soup, staring into it as though she might find the cure to her cold somewhere in the bowl, swimming alongside the chicken. She looked up as Deidara entered the room. Her face brightened considerably and she placed the soup aside.

"Dei-kun!" Akane exclaimed joyfully.

"'Kane-chan!" Deidara ran to her and they hugged.

Aoi's footsteps could be heard walking around the kitchen. Deidara sat on Akane's bed. She stared at the bruises on his face and made a face, as if debating whether or not to ask him about them. At last she came to an agreement with herself and seemed to have decided not to ask him.

They talked for hours. Akane smiled and she looked so much better, Deidara was the medicine she needed.

"Now," she said. "I've got to ask you something."

Apparently that agreement with herself consisted off putting off the questioning until later.

_Oh, no._

"What is it?" Deidara replied uncertainly.

Akane hesitated. She knew he hated being asked about anything to do with his dad. "Your...your face..."

Deidara smiled. "The bruises...it's fine. I can take it- he'll pay for what he did to me Akane. He'll pay dearly, you know..."

**Akane's POV**

I winced. Those were_ not _the words of a normal six-year-old. For the first time I questioned Deidara. I questioned Deidara and his sanity. Yes his _sanity._ That sparkle in his eyes. It was not happiness or any emotion that I knew. It was scary, though, and it appeared in his eyes the moment he had said it. What did he mean by "he'll pay dearly"?

Deidara had seemed fine when he had come into my room but now he seemed- different, scary even. He was somehow older, older than six, older than ten. Not _mature,_ but he was older in a way.

What had his dad done to him? How bad had he hurt him, not on the outside, but on the inside?

My mother used to say that children have very strong souls and it takes something ultimately powerful to break them. When a child's soul was broken, she said, that kid was never right again. Is this what had happened to Deidara? Had he been permanently changed...had I lost him forever?

I stared into his eyes and he stared back- the odd sparkle was gone. But...had it ever been there in the first place?

What was he planning? He worried me deeply. His answer had been so...sudden. So matter-of-a-fact that it seemed almost rehearsed and did not fit in with the situation. He was so serious, I could see no lie behind his eyes.

But, then again, he had become a master of deceit.

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**Hm. Kind of short. I'm thirsty and I can't find my kitten. What is Deidara planning? How will Nagato pay? Will Deidara's plan turn out alright? Will I ever get off my lazy ass and find my kitten and a drink? All of these questions and more will be answered in chapter 10 of Sweet Childhood Memories! Until then R&R por favor! Gracias! =]**


	10. End Of Part I

**Hello my loves =] I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far, I'm having a blast writing it!! Hm, I just saw My Bloody Valentine...it sucked. No offense to the people who made it or to any of you who liked it...but I didn't like it. Naked women and blood. How very frightening. I'm scarred. Well, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter (it is the end of Part I of Sweet Childhood Memories. Part II starts with chapter 11 =]) Enjoy!**

**And thank you to Sagesther for reviewing!! =]**

**I do not own Naruto, because if I did, Naruto himself would be dead. I don't own My Bloody Valentine either. And I don't want to.**

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**Normal POV**

The following day, Nagato drove Deidara to school after feeding him a home-cooked breakfast.

Yes. _Home-cooked._

And it was delicious. Who knew Nagato could cook?

He even walked Deidara to class. He was being overly nice to Deidara, and with a good reason too: A social worker and two policemen had come to the house the previous day, little over ten minutes after Deidara had come home from Akane's house. Nagato had arrived only five minutes before the S.W. and officers and had run arond the house, picking up the horrible mess. Deidara didn't know how, but Nagato had somehow found out about Deidara's phone call to CPS. He was determined to get away free- again.

Nagato had acted surprised and completely clueless when the three people had shown up at his door. He was a gentleman once more, answering their questions politely and smiling at all the right times. He was a master at lying and, though he knew not, Deidara was his pupil.

The little blonde was still having problems with his neck. It hurt to turn his head so he now had to remember to turn his whole body to look at someone, or he'd be in excruciating walked into his classroom without even looking back at Nagato. He sat at his seat and put his head down on the desk, knowing Nagato was staring daggers at him. He didn't care.

The rest of the school day went by without incident, unless you wanted to count Kisame getting a baby carrot stuck up his nose at lunch and spending the rest of the day in the nurse's office. Akane was apparently still too sick to go to school, so Deidara walked home- or he would have, had Nagato not come to pick him up from school.

Angry, Deidara ignored Nagato and kept walking. Nagato drove beside him, calling out to him through the open car window as a kidnapper might do to his next victim.

Deidara refused to get in the car and Nagato was forced to follow him all the way home in the car. Nagato parked the car and walked up to Deidara, who was waiting for him at the front door.

He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close. "Listen, you little fucker...I'm not playing games and I want you to know that-"

"They're here," Deidara said calmly, staring ahead of Nagato, who turned around, releasing Deidara.

Luckily for Nagato, the social worker was busy checking some files and was not looking so she could not see that Nagato had been holding Deidara by his shirt. Nagato quickly opened the door for Deidara and ran to help the social worker. Deidara walked inside and sat on the dinner table, staring into the kitchen where Seiryu had once cooked delicious meals for him. But that was all gone now and he was trying to survive without her but in terms of surviving without a mother, six year olds don't really go very far.

"...come in! Come in!" Nagato was saying, stepping aside so the woman could come in. "I'm Nagato by the way, and of course you know my son Deidara. He's the one who gave you that preposterous call."

"I'm Miramoto Hikaru," the woman said. "And we'll see about _that..."_

She did not trust Nagato.

Deidara liked _her._

"I'm sorry to see that you don't trust me," Nagato said in a sorrowful tone. "Before we begin talking, do you want anything to drink?"

She smiled pleasantly. "No, thanks."

"Alright then, shall we get started?" Nagato said, leading her into the living room. "Son, could you go up to your room, please, we'll be a little busy?"

Son? As if it couldn't get any worse...

Deidara did as he was told- or so Nagato thought. Instead, he did what he had done so many times before. He sat at the landing of the stairs, looking down and listening in on the two adults' conversation.

After fifteen minutes of solid questioning, which Nagato wormed his way out of easily, Hikaru brought out some photos of Deidara's bruises.

"Now, I'm not particularly happy with how the CPS is run here. It's not very effective- lack of funds and all. Which is why Deidara was not placed in a foster home, but if it was up to me...I'd take him home right away. How can you tell me these injuries were caused by playing?!" Hikaru exclaimed

"I'm sticking to what I said before," Nagato said calmly.

"But Deidara tells us that you hit him on various occasions," Hikaru said accusingly.

"He said that...he really said that..." Nagato whispered to himself faintly.

"Yes," came the woman's quiet reply.

"Attention. That's what the boy needs...attention! But do you think I can give it to him when I'm out looking for a job for most of the day?" Nagato demanded. "I'm just trying to be the best dad I can be!"

He hid his face in his hands and sobbed dramatically. He sniffed and rubbed his eyes, turning away from Hikaru. "I'm sorry," he said.

"I understand," she replied. She sounded as though she was beginning to feel sorry for Nagato.

And that was all that mattered.

It was now that Deidara realized that it was either he gave up right now and let it all go or Nagato would convince this woman and CPS that he was innocent. Either way, Deidara would end up losing. He'd finally plucked up the courage to do something about his situation at home and he was now watching the downfall of his plan.

"Stop!" Deidara yelled, running down the stairs. He came to a halt in front of the two adults. "He never did anything to me! It's just...I never ever get to see him anymore- I didn't know what to do! Every time he scolded me...I thought he didn't love me anymore and I...I didn't want to lose him..."

He did not know why he was doing this. Why was he saving the man he hated? In his heart he knew he did not want to be like Kakuzu or Hidan, they had no parents. But wouldn't it be better to be rid of Nagato once and for all? Wouldn't it be better to live without fear and in a home where he felt secure with other people even if they weren't his parents? He'd be so much happier. But there was no going back now.

"What?" Hikaru blurted, surprised.

Deidara sighed and hung his head. "I made it all up, he's innocent, hm..."

This statement was followed by one of the loudest silences Deidara had ever heard. He looked up and saw that Hikaru had gotten to her feet. "Deidara...you can't expect me to believe this! Just look at those horrible bruises on your face!"

Deidara struggled to bring out the right words. "I- I tripped and fell down the stairs. I decided to...to use that and blame my dad!"

Hikaru frowned. "Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't be telling you this if I wasn't!" Deidara screamed. "I'm sorry I lied..."

He gave her one last look and ran upstairs, locking himself up in his room, sobbing uncontrollably. He hated himself, knowing that he had just made one of the biggest mistakes in his life. He pounded on the window harder and harder, hoping that maybe someone would hear him and come to take him away. Away to a life where he would know no pain, no suffering. But he knew that was impossible.

There was a deafening crack and the window broke, sending glass flying everywhere, most of it lodged itself into Deidara's hand and he stared at the blood dripping onto the floor, crying harder still, angry at himself and thinking only one thing:

'_If only I was bigger....If only I was tougher...'_

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**And that concludes Part I! Part II begins with chapter numero 11! =] R&R Please! Arigato!!**


	11. Need A Ride?

**I HAVE FINALLY UPDATED!! This would've totally gone up yesterday, but I got kicked out of the house so...yeah...they don't have computers at the park. What also held me back was that I had already finished the chapter but I was NOT happy with it and I mean NOT HAPPY. I rewrote the whole thing and I am...satisfied. Somewhat satisfied. I cannot bring things close to perfection especially these days when I have not finished my summer homework, getting ready for registration, and am still in the process of getting my wires on my braces. No yay. None at all. And I'm getting two teeth yanked out tomorrow. Ehh...**

**Okay so this takes place two years later and Deidara is eight years old. Kawaii.  
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**Anyway, enjoy Part II of Sweet Childhood Memories.  
**

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December had finally arrived, and so had the first heavy snowfall of the year. Deidara was probably the only student walking home, which was proving to be a very difficult task: every time he took a step, he would sink into the ankle-deep snow. Kashi Shop was still a bit far away and Deidara was starting to wonder if he would be able to get there before nightfall.

"Hey, you!"

Startled, Deidara tripped over a little mound of snow, lost his balance, and fell face-first into the snow. He struggled to sit up and wiped the snow off his face, looking around for the owner of the voice.

A tall, long-haired man was leaning against a black truck that he had apparently just gotten out of.

"Me?" Deidara asked, pointing at himself and getting to his feet.

The man laughed. "Is there anyone else?" he said.

Deidara did not answer, he was unable to tell whether the man was joking or not.

"D'ya need a ride?" the man asked. "I can take ya, it's too cold to walk."

Any other eight-year-old with sensible parents would've declined such an invitation. But Nagato was nowhere near sensible and had never taught Deidara about the dangers of talking to strangers or getting in their cars. To Deidara it seemed like a good and faster alternative to walking and he nodded eagerly.

He got into the truck between two other men. The passenger seat was also occupied by a man, this one thin and balding. The long-haired man finally stepped into the car and, when he had been driving for a good five minutes (during which, it never occured to Deidara how odd it was that the man had not asked his address yet) he finally spoke, "Go ahead."

Deidara barely had time to protest when a hand came over his mouth and his backpack was wrenched off. Someone grabbed his arms, forced them behind him, and then bound them together with rope. Two pieces of thick, gray tape were placed directly over Deidara's mouth so that he could not scream.

He could suddenly feel someone's hot breath on his ear. "Don't try anything..." said a gruff voice.

Deidara trembled from head to foot as two men grabbed him and threw him onto the floor of the truck. Now unable to look through the windows, he had no idea where they were headed. How quickly his life had changed! One minute, he was walking down the street and the next he was tied up in a truck, heading who-knows-where. Deidara could hear whispers, but he did not know what they were saying. What was it...English? Deidara had already begun taking English classes, as was mandatory at his school, but his knowledge of the language was still nowhere near good enough to catch on to a single conversation.

After what seemed like hours, the truck finally stopped. Someone grabbed a terrified Deidara and led him out of the truck and outside. They were standing in front of what looked like some sort of bank. Deidara wasn't liking this. He wasn't liking this at _all._

The hand that was holding Deidara by the hair was keeping such a tight grip on him that he could not turn his head to look at any of the men that had attacked him. Not that he wanted to, anyway.

They burst into the building and it was not immediate to the people inside what was going on. Most of them stared at the doorway, checkbooks and pens in hand; the employees with their pens hovering over papers. And then there was a loud boom that shook the whole room: a woman in the far corner screamed and it was both the gunshot and scream that dragged people out of their shock. Small bits of ceiling fell to the floor from the place where the bullet had exited.

"SHUT UP AND DON'T MOVE!" the man holding Deidara yelled. All heads turned, not towards the speaker, but to the frightened and tied-up little eight-year-old boy who looked on the verge of tears.

A woman near the door was holding the hand of a little girl who looked a few years younger than Deidara. She eyed Deidara with a sort of motherly affection, tears sparkling in her eyes. She blinked and pushed her daughter behind her and out of sight. Deidara looked back at hear pleadingly and she eyed him fearfully.

Out of the corner of his eye, Deidara could see one of the employees slowly lowering one of their hands.

"DON'T YOU _FUCKING_ TOUCH THAT BUTTON!" A raspy, slightly high-pitched voice on Deidara's left screamed.

The man who had been attempting to lower his hand quickly retracted it and cast fearful glances all around the room.

"Well," said a voice, and Deidara knew it was the long-haired man that had lured him into the truck. "You know what we want...so get to it."

He approached one of the employees, who immediately paled and began to tremble. Meanwhile, all eyes were focused on Deidara, who had begun to cry silently. His feet were beginning to ache from standing still for so long and he looked at the crowd pleadingly.

A couple of minutes, hours, days, or maybe even years passed before the long-haired man came back to stand behind Deidara. Soft whispers broke out in the frightened crowd and then suddenly, just as it seemed that everything had gone smoothly and no one would be hurt, something went wrong.

_Very_ badly wrong.

"Cowards!"

The cry echoed inside the building, ripping apart the fragile and until-now-untouched silence. Everyone, even Deidara, turned at the sound of the feeble yell. A crippled old man leaning on a cane pushed his way through the crowd, his face red with rage. For a moment he seemed too upset to be able to speak and then he took a deep breath and spoke:

"You're cowards! Look at that little boy, he's scared half-to death and you're using him just to carry out your-"

Deidara knew it was going to happen before it did. He shut his eyes just in time: there was a boom, a thud, and some screams. He opened his eyes and was suddenly staring at the man's body on the ground, blood trailing from a hole in his head. Deidara's muffled scream was unnaturally loud in the thick silence that had just settled back into the room, affecting everyone like some kind of poisonous gas that had been seeping under the doors the whole time.

And now Deidara knew that this was probably the worst day of his life.

Once they were back inside the truck, the long-haired man turned to Deidara, who instantly tried to back away, and said. "There now, that wasn't all bad, was it?" with that said, he inserted his key into the ignition and Deidara gave a muffled cry as the engine roared.

Deidara lay on his back on the back seat, crying in a forced silence. Tears cascaded down the sides of his face and he heaved great unheard sobs that racked his whole body. He wished he was at Kashi Shop, enjoying a delicious, homemade dinner courtesy of Aoi. He wished he was laughing with Akane at the table, poking fun at her new haircut and getting playfully slapped in return. He wished he wasn't cold or scared.

Hell, he even wished he could see Nagato.

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**And that...is where I end the chapter. Why? Because...well...because I can. I promise the next one will be longer but...writer's block is slowly creeping up on me though I'm hoping I can beat it. Also, my new charcoal pencils are calling my name. Oh no, I'm going crazy!! Or maybe I just need sleep. Eh, doesn't matter. What _does _matter, however, is that you R&R. Muchas gracias :)**


	12. Mina and Akiko

**I finally wrote this. Geh...I'm tired. Stressed. And mother dear wants me to join JROTC. Should I? I guys help me decide, haha. Ah well, enjoy.**

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Deidara did not usually sleep on the cold, stone floor of a basement. Nor did he usually have his hands handcuffed to the bars on a low window. In fact, none of the things currently happening were what he usually did.

There was a slam and Deidara awoke from the light slumber he had been somewhat enjoying. In the tiny amount of time between awaking and opening his eyes, he remembered what had happened the previous day and hoped it had been all just a dream. In opening his eyes, he was horribly disappointed. He was sitting on the floor of some kind of dark room, his hands handcuffed to what seemed like a little window with bars, covered by glass on the other side. Why would they have a window? Deidara had no time to think up the answer to this question when the person who had awoken Deidara burst into the room, carrying a tray. As the person began coming down the stairs, a bit of light from the light bulb above (which did not make much light in the first place) illuminated their face and Deidara saw that it was the long-haired man from before.

"Breakfast," was all he said. He released Deidara's right hand but not the left and then sat at the bottom step, watching the blonde.

Well, Deidara thought, they could have not fed him at all. He picked up the spoon on the tray and began to eat the soggy cereal before him. It wasn't that bad.

"So what's your name?"

Deidara looked up, his spoon halfway to his mouth. "D-Deidara."

"Ah, strange name," said the man.

Deidara continued to eat the cereal cautiously, not wanting to seem too hungry. They might not feed him again if he did.

A few minutes later, Deidara was done. He put the spoon down and faced the man: he was much braver with a full stomach. "Why am I here?" he asked.

The man said nothing. He stood up, re-handcuffed Deidara's hand, took the tray, and left the room. Deidara sighed and remained sitting on the floor. Hours went by and nothing had happened, no noises at all. Deidara was just beginning to doze off when-

"No, please no!"

Someone wrenched open the door and ran inside, closing the door behind them. They ran down the stair as quietly as they could and, when they spotted Deidara, stopped. "Shh!" said the voice, a woman's. "Don't tell him I'm here!"

Deidara nodded and saw the outline of the woman in the dark heading under the stairs. Her small sobs quickly died down and then the door burst open again. A thin man with long, shaggy hair charged into the room, running down the stairs at full speed. Having only five more steps to go, the man decided to jump. He landed on the dusty floor and looked around.

"You!" he shouted at Deidara. "Where is she?"

Deidara shook his head wildly. "I-I don't...th-there's no one e-else..."

"Better not be," the man growled, running around the room, looking around. "_Come on out and play..._" he murmured in a sickening sing-song voice.

There was a whimper as the woman was dragged out from under the stairs by the ankle. The man threw her with all his might against the wall where she collided with the cold stone, emitting a sickening crack. She slid down onto the floor, unconscious. The man turned to Deidara, red with rage and quite opposite to Deidara, who was now white with fright and struggling against his handcuffs.

The man was now standing over Deidara, who whimpered softly and gave up on trying to free himself. "Liar," said the man.

All Deidara could do was look up at him, shaking with fear. The woman on the floor stirred. "Akiko..."

"Mina...you stay put," Akiko replied, not even lookin at her. "But_ you..._"

He squatted down to Deidara's level and the blonde tried to back away, which was impossible as he was against the wall. Akiko grabbed Deidara's chin and forced the blonde to look up at him. "Liar..." he repeated.

Deidara did not answer, he was finding it very hard not to bring up his breakfast right in the man's face. Trying really, really hard.

"I told you if someone was here, and you- lied!" Akiko yelled furiously, punching Deidara in the stomach at the last word.

Deidara coughed and gasped for air, not really getting any. He swallowed hard and began to cry loudly. The blonde struggled against the handcuffs again, earning him yet another punch. He was no less prepared for this one than the last one and was once again struggling for air. Tears cascaded down his cheeks and he sniffed loudly.

"Akiko..." Mina whispered from the floor, she sounded like she was crying. It was too dark to tell, the lightbulb above barely gave enough light to see Akiko's face. "Akiko...he's just a _child...._"

"He's a liar! I don't even know why we got him, only on Nagato's orders," Akiko retorted, standing up.

_Wait a minute...Nagato?! No...it couldn't be. Surely not._

Deidara's loud crying was reduced to soft sniffs and he soon quieted down, pain still shooting from where Akiko had punched him.

"I...asked him to lie. Akiko, he's just a child," Mina pleaded.

"Heh...you defend him like you did Kumi," Akiko muttered, turning to face Mina, who was trying to stand up. Akiko's anger had been replaced by something else...jealousy, perhaps?

"Don't you..._dare!_ Don't you _dare_ mention, K-Kumi-chan!" Mina yelled shrilly, suddenly angry. She finally managed to stand up.

They had completely forgotten about Deidara, it seemed, and the blonde could not help feeling grateful at the sudden turn of events.

"Why not?" Akiko said, and he sounded angry again. "Don't like the memories? Are you afraid this brat will die here, too, like your daughter- that traitor who-"

"Shut up, no you can't talk about her like that! She didn't know what she was doing! She was only a child, children make mistakes!" Mina yelled, her voice rising hysterically.

"Mi-Mistakes?!" Akiko laughed, turned around, and seized a handful of Deidara's shoulder-length hair. He turned Deidara's face to the outline of Mina and shook him hard. "It was not a mistake, she...Mina-chan knew what he was doing. And so did he!"

Mina was breathing very hard. "You don't- you never..._don't!_" she shrieked.

"Kumi got what she deserved! And so will he!" Akiko yelled, his voice louder than hers. He brought his fist down on Deidara's mouth, knocking out two teeth. Blood dribbled down Deidara's chin, and he spit out the teeth. They landed on the floor and Deidara was unable to see them.

"He's just a _child!_" Mina screamed.

Deidara, meanwhile, had begun to cry again. His head was swimming, shooting pains were traveling from his mouth to the rest of his body. Akiko released Deidara's head, which hung facing down, unsupported by an unwilling Deidara.

Suddenly, the door burst open and there was light coming from a flashlight. It illuminated the whole room, revealing Mina and Akiko. Mina was a short, skinny young woman in her early twenties with bright green eyes and lank brown hair that hung around her in parted curtains. Her fuzzy pink nightgown hung in folds around her frail frame. Both her and Akiko looked up at who had come into the room, and backed away into a corner.

A tall, muscular man with hastily-cut black hair and piercing blue eyes stepped into the room, shining the flashlight all around. The light stopped as it hit Deidara and the man walked down the stairs, not keeping his eyes or light off the blonde.

"What's happened here?" he asked in a deep gravelly voice.

"Aiko-san!" Akiko breathed, backing away further. "Nothing- nothing has happened!"

"Explain," Aiko said, pointing at Deidara, who squinted back at him because of the bright light. His lip was now swollen and there was blood on his chin. There was also the fact that he was shaking uncontrollably and had clearly been crying a moment before.

"Ah!" Mina exclaimed, pointing a shaking finger at Akiko and jumping up and down on the spot. She suddenly looked extremely happy. "Explain, yes, explain! Explain how you beat this innocent child, how you made him cry!"

"Quiet..." Aiko said threatningly and Mina suddenly stopped jumping, looking rather apathetic. "Yes. Do explain, Akiko. How did this child sustain these injuries?"

"I- I...he lied about the whereabouts of Mina! She was hiding and he told me she wasn't here!" Akiko attempted to explain, his voice shaking with something that sounded much like fear.

Aiko's icy eyes narrowed. "He's eight years old...what did you expect him to do?"

Akiko's retort was lost and he merely stared at Aiko, his eyes wide with fear.

"Don't ever do it again," Aiko said coldly. "We need him alive."

With that said, he went back up the stairs and closed the door with a sharp snap behind him. Akiko turned to look at Deidara, a scowl on his face. He grumbled darkly under his breath and turned to Mina instead.

"This is your fault..." he muttered.

Surprisingly, Mina smiled and was looking on the brink of laughter.

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**I had fun with this chapter for some reason. Although it is sort of confusing but the next chapter explains all...or some...mwahaha. Ah well, R&R please!! Arigato.**


	13. Running

**Hello! I haven't updated in FOREVER! I am so sorry! Rest assured, there is a reason for it but I'd rather not bore you with my life story =] I actually wrote this chapter in less than an hour and was, for the first time since I started writing on this site, satisfied (only just a little but STILL satisfied) with the way this chapter turned out. It's been edited and stuff, of course. I hope you guys like it ;D Enjoy!**

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After about five hours of continuous failed attempts to sleep, Deidara had fallen into a light but well-deserved slumber. He sat on the floor of the basement, leaning against the wall with his head drooping forward. His hands, were resting on his lap, his wrists bruised and swollen from the handcuffs that were to be his restraints once again in the morning. Uncomfortable as this position was, the little blonde was grateful for some sleep.

There was a loud crash and Deidara'seyes shot open, unseeing in the impenetrable darkness. He stood up, his legs wobbly and reluctant to support the weight they had become unaccustomed to.

Muffled yells were coming from upstairs and he jerked his head towards the noise. Slowly, he began to walk forward and his outstretched hands soon came into contact with the stair railing. He began to walk up the stairs, cautious to avoid making any noise.

Once Deidara reached the door, he stood with one hand on the doorknob, listening intently. He almost screamed in terror when he heard numerous shots being fired. Someone, a woman, _did _scream. Then, a deafening silence possessed the house.

Deidara took a deep breath and turned the doorknob. He opened the door and stepped out into the semi-darkness. He blinked repeatedly, giving his eyes time to adjust to the light. He could see again.

But in this case, he would've given everything to have been submerged into the darkness again.

He had only once seen the living room, a quick glance he had gotten when he was dragged into the house, not nearly enough to make much of a lasting memory in his eight-year-old mind.

Now he could see it was lavishly furnished. Two leather couches sat along the wall, making a rounded 'L' around a glass coffee table. Under said table was an expensive looking rug that might've been real fur of some animal Deidara had never seen or heard about. Two large oil paintings hung in the room, both with visible brush strokes. One hung above a large brick fireplace which looked like it was used as a decoration rather than heat, judging from the cleanliness of it.

Mounted on the wall facing the couches was a large 50 inch flat-screen television that Deidara had sometimes heard all the way down in the basement.

This was how the living room had looked when Deidara had been dragged in. Or so he supposed because now...

The leather couches had several gashes on them, stuffing oozing from their wounds. The glass table had been upended, a large crack running across its surface. Once of its legs was lying two feet away. The rug was bloodstained littered with broken glass, glittering like diamonds coating the surface of muddy footprints made only minutes before. One of the oil paintings had several holes in it, blood splattered across its surface, a macabre addition meant to improve what was already a masterpiece. The other painting was gone and the T.V.'s screen was cracked and smoking. Something stirred underneath the T.V.

Deidara looked down and saw someone lying on their side, their back to him. They were wearing a heavily bloodstained fuzzy pink bathrobe. It was Mina.

"M-Mina-san..." Deidara whispered, his voice cracked from lack of use.

Only silence answered him.

he walked closer to her and now he could see Mina's face. The skin was pale and waxy-looking from the sweat coating it. Her chin was flecked with blood and her mouth was slightly parted, like now dull green eyes. Her arms were stretched out in front of her, hands heavily bruised. The right one looked broken. Her legs were hidden by the fuzzy fabric of the bathrobe but what was not was the many holes in Mina's stomach, blood was collecting in a puddle around her. Even after seeing this, it took Deidara a couple of minutes to believe she was dead.

He looked around and could see into the kitchen where Akiko lay face-down on the floor, his long hair matter with blood. Bloody footprints on the kitchen tile suggested that he had staggered into the kitchen an then collapsed.

Deidara began making his way to the front door. He looked back at Mina. He looked back at Akiko, who would probably be angry that Deidara was taking the chance to escape. Because he wasn't dead. He was just sleeping.

He opened the door and blinked in the blinding sunlight, which he had not seen in forever. Once his eyes adjusted to the change, he ran.

He was halfway down the street when he heard the wail of police sirens and knew they were surrounding the very house he had just left. They'd walk in through the open front door and find the same bloody scene Deidara had, only they hadn't known these people at all. They weren't eight years old, bruised and tired, unable to understand just what had happened in the house and why.

Although he did not know what had happened, Deidara knew that not only Mina and Akiko were dead. Somehow he knew that there must be others, their bodies lying on the floor in other rooms. Surely Aiko and the men who had robbed the bank must be dead. Maybe the police would know what had happened and it would be on the ten o'clock news that very day and Deidara would finally know. The policemen had to know what had happened because they were adults and adults knew everything.

It was now that deidara recognized the run-down neighborhood that he'd just walked into. Kashi Shop would be just around the corner! The blonde slowed down his pace, because he was safe.

He was home.

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**Well, that took forever to type XD Tell me what you think...R&R? Thanks :D**


	14. My Child

**Okay, I'm finally getting back into writing chapters :D I wasn't very inspired for this chapter, but I think it turned out so-so. Anyway, enjoy!**

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On the seventh day since Deidara's sudden disappearance, I awoke at 6:00 a.m., only moments before the alarm was set to go off. I could hear noises in the kitchen, meaning Akane-chan was already eating breakfast, testing her half-developed, 13-year-old cooking skills. I heard the clink of dishes and then water running.

I rolled out of bed, pulled on some warm clothes, brushed my teeth, and combed my hair, still sweet-smelling from last night's shower.

"Mom! I'm leaving!" I heard Akane's voice from the hallway.

"Alright, honey. Have a good day!" I called back as I began to make the bed.

There was a pause in which I imagined Akane was busy checking to see if the clasps on her backpack were closed. "You too!" came her response a couple of minutes later and then I heard the door close with a sharp snap, followed by her footsteps on the stairs.

I stepped into the kitchen, feeling a strong surge of pride upon seeing the stack of newly washed dishes Akane had left drying on the dish rack. I picked them up, one by one, and began to dry them. Once said task was done, I brought out a pan and set it on the stove with a dull thunk then turned around and opened the refrigerator so I could hunt around its cold interior for some leftovers to heat up. I was too tired to make a real breakfast.

At 9:00 I put a call through to Deidara's teacher, who seemed a bit annoyed that I had called yet again, not that I cared. Ignoring his exasperated-sounding voice, I asked the same thing I had asked for the past six days.

"Did Deidara show up at school today?"

And I received the same answer I had received for the past six days.

_"No, ma'am, he hasn't."_

This time, I asked another question upon hearing his answer.

"Have you heard anything from his father?"

He replied in a monotonous tone, as if reading from a script.

_"No, ma'am, nothing at all."_

I sighed. "Well...thank you anyway. Can I trust you to call me back whenever you hear something?"

There was a pause in which I was sure he hesitated, probably making an annoyed facial expression. _"Yes, ma'am, of course." _and I knew he meant it because he would probably do anything to keep me from calling back.

I hung up, feeling helpless. Poor Deidara was somewhere in the city, probably cold and hungry and with no one to help him find his way home. I stood up and picked up a pair of jeans that had fallen off the bed and onto the floor.

On Fridays, I did not open the shop until 2:30 p.m. Seeing as the house was clean and we had enough groceries for the week, I had nothing to do and so I decided I would go out into town and have a look around the stores. I would probably stop by McDonald's at lunchtime and grab a burger and some fries.

I put on a long coat, grabbed my purse, and left the apartment, closing the door behind me. I walked down the stairs and through the Shop. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that a can of soup had fallen to the floor. I walked over to it and picked it up. With my sleeve I dusted it, checked for dents, and then placed it back on the shelf. I began to arrange the rest of the cans, which looked like they, too, were in danger of falling off the shelf. Then I heard the knocking on the door.

It was soft, as though the person knocking was unsure of whether they wanted to knock or not.

"Sorry, we're closed until two-thirty on Fridays," I called loudly so that they could hear me.

More knocking.

I set a can down and walked to the door. I peered through the window but couldn't see anyone. Still, the knocking continued. I sighed, thinking it was probably some good-for-nothing teenagers that had ditched school and, in the absence of anything productive to do, they had decided to pull a prank. I opened the door, ready to tell them to leave or I'd call the police.

A pair of large, azure eyes looked up at me pleadingly, blond eyebrows raised as if asking a silent question. A mouth, expressionless and the bottom lip swollen to twice its normal size and caked with dry blood that ran down all the way to the small, bruised chin. The small, childish nose was bruised, dry blood crusted around both nostrils. One cheek was swollen and bruised. Purple finger marks on the neck, dark bruises around the ankles and wrists, as though he had been tied up.

This was what Deidara looked like after a week of having gone missing and suddenly turning up at Kashi Shop in the same clothes I had last seen him in.

All thoughts of going downtown and buying winter clothes and perhaps going to McDonald's were instantly wiped from my mind. This child, who I loved like a son, had finally come back to me. Sure he was a little bruised, but what did that matter if he was _alive_? The bruises would heal, and I would have my "family" again. One daughter and her little "brother". It was all a mother could wish for. My "child" was safe and that's all that mattered.

I screamed and heard my voice echo, saw the little white cloud that was my breath escape my mouth and then disappear.

He smiled and waved at me weakly. I threw myself upon him, almost knocking him over but instead pulling him into a rib-cracking hug that he tried his best to return. I could hear crying, loud sobs bringing concerned neighbors to their windows and bringing nosy pedestrians to a halt. I quickly realized that it was I who was crying like a child without a mother. I wiped my eyes hastily on the sleeve of my jacket, picked up Deidara like one would a baby, and carried him inside, kicking the door closed behind me.

The little blonde looked at me almost thankfully. I planted a big kiss on his cheek, the one that was not bruised, and carried him up to the apartment, grabbing a bag of chips and a box of juice from one of the shelves in the shop along the way.

I dropped my purse in the hallway with a soft thump, closed the door behind me, and quickly headed to the bathroom to start a warm bath.

Without saying anything, I helped the boy strip off his filthy clothes and then carried him into the bathtub filled with warm water and his favorite bubble-gum scented bubble bath. He hissed as the water touched his cold body, it probably felt like knives on his skin. I grabbed the bath sponge and began to scrub him softly, careful to avoid pressing hard on the numerous bruises that covered his body. Slowly, the water from the bath began to turn a murky brownish color and his skin began to appear clean as it always had done before.

Just _where_ had this boy been?

I decided it was not the time to talk yet.

I helped him out of the bath and dried him off with a towel. I ran a comb through his tangled hair, brought him his favorite pair of pajamas and blue boxers, and helped him get dressed.

With this done, I led him into the kitchen and sat him down at the table. I opened the bag of chips and stuck the little straw attached to the juice box into the little hole at the top. Quietly, I saw his little hand reach inside the bag of chips and take one.

For a couple of minutes there were no sounds but the soft crunching of the chips and the gurgling of the juice box.

"Dei-kun...where were you?"

He stopped chewing. "I...I don't know," he replied softly, then continued chewing.

It was such a simple, useless answer and yet I knew he was being honest. He looked slightly frustrated, his mouth twisted into a little pout.

"There...there was a lady. Her name was Mina-san," Deidara said slowly, as though every word cost him a tremendous effort.

I waited for him to say more, but all he did was pick up the juice box and take a sip. He grabbed another chip and put it in his mouth, chewing it slowly as though it was the last.

"What did Mina-san do?" I asked tentatively.

Deidara turned to look at me and smiled. "She protected me from the man."

It was as if he had said nothing. This statement was of no help to me but I listened to his every word. He was handing me random pieces to a puzzle which I had never seen completed before. I would have to figure it out by myself.

I decided to try something different. "Well, then...how did you get to the shop?"

Deidara swallowed the juice and hesitated. "S-Someone...hurt everybody in the house. They were dead and Mina-san was dead too." he said. "So I just left."

That was it? He had just_ left_?

What bothered me the most was that he was implying that someone had murdered "everybody in the house". What house and what people was he talking about?

"And how...how did you get to the house?"

"I was walking home and a man said he would give me a ride. But he didn't," Deidara said, his eyes focused on me but it seemed as though he was looking through me and not at me. "He went to a bank and him and some people took money and then they left and took me to the house and I was in the basement."

"A basement?! Dei-kun, but what did you eat?" I half-yelled.

He had finished the chips now. He crumpled the wrapper in his little fist. "Um...cereal...and that's it. It was soggy."

I asked no more questions, unsettled by Deidara's new attitude. He was too quiet, his voice barely more than a whisper. He made hardly any eye contact. Before, he was eager to tell stories, his eyes would grow wide and his mouth would stretch into a big smile, exposing his front teeth that were barely growing in and a little space where he had recently lost a tooth. He was loud and playful when he was with Akane and I. What had happened? What had they _done_ to him?

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**Deidara is home safely! Well...not so safely, but he's home! He still has to go to his real home where Nagato is though :O The more reviews I get the better the chances are of Nagato not hurting Deidara!! X) So R&R guys! Haha, thanks.**


	15. A Mother's Duty

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**Hello (: I wasn't gonna check the reviews for this story today since they hadn't gone up but I did anyway and I was like -- :O Soo...my thanks go out to:**

**Matsuo Tanuki- Thanks for your bazillion reviews, I appreciate it deeply X) Oh, and I'm actually studying to be a medical examiner :D**

**kiki uchiha**

**XxTwilightwolfxX- Be patient, they're only eight years old! It will come in later n_n**

**AkasunaSasori**

**Noeleisa**

**Sin-Skyeon**

**yha20**

**So....please enjoy!**

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**Nagato's POV**

The call came at 12:45 p.m., when I was halfway through a lunch of steaming hot cup ramen and a room-temperature soda. When the phone rang, I jumped up, startled, knocking over my drink. The can fell with a thud to the floor, rolling around and spilling its contents everywhere. Cursing fluently and loudly, I walked to the phone, careful to avoid stepping in the growing orange puddle which would soon become a sticky mess if not cleaned up immediately. I picked up the phone.

"What?!" I barked into the receiver, ready to chew out whoever it was for calling me at such an important time. Didn't people have lives?

There was heavy breathing on the other end and, for a second, I thought it was some sort of sick prank call. I was about to hang up when the other person finally spoke. "N-Nagato-san..."

Their breathing sounded ragged and pained. It was followed by what sounded like an intense coughing fit of some sort. It took me a minute to recognize the voice that had just uttered my name so quietly. I heard movement on the other end, something brushed against the receiver making a loud muffled sound, then the person spoke again.

"Nagato-san..." his voice sounded louder and muffled, as though he was pressing his mouth to the receiver.

"Aiko...?" I asked myself out loud.

More coughing. "Y-Yes...something...something's happened. Yoshida's men....they f-found us...everyone's dead...."

"The boy...is he dead too, then?" I asked quickly, careful not to allow myself the luxury of relief from the brat being dead.

"No...they d-didn't search the basement. Nagato-san, th-they know...I-"

"Did you tell them anything? Anything at _all_?" I cut in. I'd kill him if he had.

For a moment all I could hear was Aiko's harsh breathing. "N-No..."

I almost breathed a sigh of relief aloud. "Good. When the boy notices that everyone's dead-"

"I'm still...alive," Aiko said, almost resentfully.

I snorted. "Listen to yourself, you haven't got long. Like I was saying, when he notices you're all dead, he's probably gonna leave and I know he's not going to stay home...I just know it."

Aiko made a strange noise that sounded angry. Or maybe that was just him dying. "Y-you won't...won't _help_ me...?"

"No." I hung up the phone and, careful to step over the puddle, walked out of the kitchen. I grabbed a jacket from the old couch and spent a couple of minutes looking for my keys, which finally turned up under the kitchen table.

Then, I left.

I arrived at the apartment of Takahashi Hideki only minutes later. I quickly left my car and managed not to use more speed than necessary when I approached apartment 3. I rang the doorbell and, after a few seconds in which I had time to take a good mental picture of the run-down neighborhood, Hideki opened the door.

"Move," I ordered, pushing past him and into the small apartment.

A wall of heat seemed to block the doorway like an unseen barrier. It was the middle of winter, but the heater had been turned up so that the temperature inside had risen to approximately eighty-five degrees. The air was damp, smelling like old newspaper. A few seconds later, I could also detect the scents of cigarette smoke and cheap beer. The floor was creaking and uneven, with big, yellowish permanent-looking splotches everywhere.

The main room had a single bed with an iron bedstead painted white. I walked in here so as to avoid any chance of being overheard through the window in the living room which was, as I knew from previous visits, stuck and would not close. A small wooden desk and a matching chair had been brought into the room sometime between my previous visit and now. I took a seat at the desk and turned around to face Hideki, who was just coming in, looking as bewildered as if it had been a ghost who had come into his apartment.

"May I know what the _hell_ this is about?" he said looking displeased at my presence. He chose not to sit but rather leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed, head cocked, and eyes narrowed.

I surveyed him for a moment or two. "It seems our dear friend Yoshida Hiro found where Aiko and the rest were." I looked up at him, saying nothing else so as to let this sentence sink in completely.

He blinked. "Yoshida's men_ know_?"

I nodded.

"_Shit_!" he quickly unfolded his arms and punched the wall with such force that he left a dent. He flexed his fingers, breathing heavily. "I _trusted _that stupid son of a bitch Aiko!"

"It doesn't matter now, he's dead."

Hideki's eyes looked up and met mine. I kept my bearing and spoke calmly. "My boy will probably have gotten away by now. I can't let that happen. We cannot silence him either. Imagine the suspicion that will bring upon me? I never filed a Missing Persons report, I just said he was sick. If he turns up dead with a body filled with bullets, they're gonna start investigating on me and _that_, my friend, is something we do_ not _need. We need to find the boy, bring him home, and make sure he never says a fucking thing to anybody. Or if he already has, we can, of course, silence said person without any fear of their body being connected to either of us. As far as the community is concerned, we're just a couple of model citizens..."

Hideki's face paled. "Oi, man...I ain't up for killing nobody...!"

I stood up and crossed the room. I took my time in lifting my arm and placing my hand around his throat. He made as if to free himself, but my hand clamped around his neck and he made an odd, strangled noise. "You're gonna do what I fuckin' tell you, got it?"

He looked into my eyes, saying nothing and I shook him around the neck. "Got it?!"

Unable to speak, Hideki nodded instead, and I released him. I turned away, hearing him cough and sputter.

"The only thing I regret is that I won't be getting money for the boy anymore..." I said, turning to face Hideki, who had finally straightened up and was very red in the face.

"Yeah, well, how was _that_ even working out?"

I smirked. "The day they kidnapped him, they used him as a hostage to rob a bank. Most of that money went to yours truly, seeing as the boy is my son. Today he would've been put to use again for a similar occasion involving even more money...but of course, Yoshida's men had to come and ruin it for me." I frowned. "Eventually, if this robbery had gone well, they were going to start using the boy to transport important merchandise from here to Konohagakure and Iwagakure....maybe we could've raised him along with all of this, you know? Then he'd be worth something...."

"Geez, you say it like the poor kid's worthless," Hideki said, smiling.

"That little faggot isn't good for anything," I replied, picking at my sleeve. "Although, he might've been good for this, you never know."

Hideki coughed. "Yeah, I guess. When are we getting him?"

I straightened up and popped my neck. "Right now."

**Aoi's POV, at Kashi Shop**

It was almost two when Deidara had finally fallen asleep at the bed he, Akane, and I used to share before the little blonde's disappearance. He had never looked ever so tiny in the big bed, his overgrown hair in golden tangles around his face, his small mouth slightly parted and his eyes were closed. He slept in the fetal position, making him look smaller still.

I gave him one last look and headed down the stairs to the shop to get everything ready. I grabbed my clipboard from the counter and began checking off things as I went down the list.

I heard a knocking at the door. I paused, my pen hovered an inch off the clipboard, my body did not move, my eyes darted towards the door. I could not help but get a sinking feeling in my stomach. There was something about that knock that I didn't like.

"The shop opens at two-thirty," I called out, doing my best to keep my voice from shaking. I didn't know why I was afraid, but something in the back of my head was telling me something was off.

"Open the door, you fucking bitch," came a low growl from outside.

Might as well have said, "Open sesame."

My eyes widened and, without putting the clipboard down, I walked over to the door and unlocked it. I had barely done this when it flung open and I found myself staring at two men.

The first was about my height. He wasn't overweight, but not thin either, he had thick arms and legs. His hair was red gold, parted crookedly in the center and worn long. It hung around him in folds, giving him the look of a drowned person. He had dark gray eyes that were slightly bloodshot.

The second was three or four inches taller that I was and looked vaguely familiar. He had a military haircut, but I could tell that he was blond. His dark blue eyes turned to look at me and suddenly I was reminded of Deidara. His and Deidara's noses were identical in the way that they were both straight and aristocratic and I thought maybe the shape of their eyes was similar, too.

Why did this man look so much like the eight-year-old boy sleeping upstairs in my bed?

"We know he's here," said the first man, stepping inside, closely followed by the other.

For a second I had no idea who he was talking about. Then it dawned on me: they were looking for Deidara. I would not give him up without a fight. I was his "mother". He was my "son".

"Wh-Who?" I stuttered, playing dumb. Sounding like it too.

The blonde turned to me. "Don't play stupid. You have my son." he spoke in a gravelly voice that suggested a lifelong affection for unfiltered cigarettes.

I nearly fainted right then and there. I took in this man's appearance. He resembled Deidara vaguely and now I noticed that he had a toned body, his thick, muscular arms hung loosely at his sides. He was Deidara's dad? I felt rage surge through me and worked hard to suppress the urge to kick him in a place dear to all men. It was no wonder Deidara was afraid of him. This man was surrounded by some sort of aura that intimidated those around him without the need to say or do anything. The authority in his voice was frightening, suggesting that bad things would happen if this did not go his way.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I did my best to meet his eyes. He, it seemed, did not need to try hard. He simply stood there, letting his eyes bore into mine, giving me goose bumps.

"I'll say this one more time: We know my son is here. Now, you either show us to him and we'll leave without making a scene, or we'll have to...resort to _drastic measures_..." he said venomously.

I could see that they were carrying no weapons, but maybe this was out of kindness to me being alone and a woman. I knew that one punch from Deidara's dad and I would be out. Still, I would not give him up without a fight.

"Have you seen Dei-kun? He's bruised and scared! I don't....I don't think it's safe for him to go home with you."

His eyes narrowed. "What did he tell you?"

I lied on instinct. "Tell me about _what_? He just turned up at my door looking half-dead and hasn't spoken a word at _all_..."

He seemed to buy it and I was glad. "Good. Now...we need to bring him home-"

"I can't let-"

_Smack! _His hand caught me right on the mouth and I took a couple of quick steps back, tears sprung to my eyes and I put a hand up to my rapidly swelling mouth. I looked at him angrily and, just as I was about to say something, I felt something hit me in the stomach. I fell to the floor, trying desperately to catch my breath. When he put it down, I realized that Deidara's dad had kicked me with one of his deadly-looking boots. I coughed nonstop, tears streaming from my eyes, my arms wrapped around my stomach and all I could think about was the burning pain in my stomach. My vision was blurred by tears but I could still see when the two men kicked down the door to the apartment and began to climb the stairs.

It took all my willpower to get to my feet and stagger up the stairs after them. I could hear Deidara's shrill screams.

"No! No, not _you_! Get away from-"

I heard a loud thud and Deidara went silent in mid-sentence as though someone had pressed the mute button. The blond man emerged from Deidara's room, carrying his son like one would a dead animal. The other man followed closely behind, looking thoroughly bored. With every step they took, Deidara's arms and hair swung wildly and I could see that blood was dripping from somewhere on his face, which was obscured by a sheet of hair. Small droplets of blood followed the two men on their way out of the apartment and I ran after them, almost slipping on the blood but determined to catch up to them.

"You can't take him! _NO_!"

The redheaded man turned back and punched me right in the stomach, adding to the pain I was already feeling from the kick. I felt the as the wind was knocked out of me and doubled over, coughing up a small amount of dark red blood. My hand slipped from the rail and I tumbled down the stairs, my body growing numb with every step that I hit. I felt a bone break, but could not be sure which one it was. While tumbling down, I saw the men leave. I landed with a thud on the floor and my head bounced, hitting the floor a second time and then darkness descended upon me.

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**It's all violent and shit ;; I enjoyed writing that chapter :D Except for the whole violence towards Aoi and Deidei. I like...died on the inside :O Once again, thanks for all of your reviews :D Be sure to review on this one too and I'll love all of you guys even more than I already do :3 Ja ne!**


	16. Pac Man

**I think after this chapter I'm gonna have the time of my life trying to figure out what to do with Deidara and Sasori now that they're friends o.o Oh,well, I'll figure it out like I always do! Enjoy!

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_What is this...?_

_Darkness._

_Where am I...?_

_I can't stand up, I can't see. How did I get here? What is here?_

_It hurts._

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

_Akane? Deidara? Is that you? I'm here! Here! I don't know where here is, but if you can hear me then please, Akane-chan .Dei-kun, help me! Please don't leave me here, I'm...I'm scared._

_It's dark. Can I walk? I have legs. I can feel them, why won't they move? Arms. Arms...aren't working either? I know I have eyes or...I think I do. I can...feel my nose pressed up against a hard surface. Wall? Floor?...Ceiling? Why can't I move? I can breathe, I can feel my chest rise and fall, occasionally making contact with whatever the hell I'm lying on._

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

_Oh boy, my head...my head hurts. It's the pain that woke me up, it's the pain. The pain and...did I piss myself? Something...warm and wet. On my side. Or is it on my back? Neck, maybe? I can't tell, my senses are useless. My neck is twisted at some awkward angle, it hurts._

_My head is rising. Neck turning. Head descending._

_Floor (ceiling?wall?) again._

_Someone's hand. A small hand, it's soft. Smells like...strawberry lotion._

_Akane-chan. Not Dei-kun._

_Are you...saying something? Speak louder, honey...I can't hear you. Sounds like there's cotton balls in my ears. Sounds like you're speaking to me from the other room. So far away..._

_Are you leaving...?_

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

_I can't hear the thumps, I've been feeling them this whole time. It's amazing that my brain could trick me into thinking I could hear. Maybe it's tricking me into thinking I can't move._

_So I can move. I will move. I've forgotten how to make myself move. What do I do? Trying to lift my arm. Fingers twitching. Is that me, or just some random spazzing? Try again...twitching. I'm regaining mobility._

_I'm regaining feeling, too. The warm wetness is on my back...it's not urine...or blood. It's sweat, I think. Sweat? That's gross, just completely gross._

_Moving, moving. I can move my arms. They're heavy, but they can move. Let's try to push ourselves up now, okay? Eyes opening. I still can't see anything. Still pushing up, arms are as strong as wet noodles right now. Then, something hot shoots up my arm, it's pain. I wince and cry out, a low, pathetic sound that made its way out of my dry throat._

_Are those...sounds? Sounds, yes. Someone is talking outside. Outside a door- what door? Am I in the Shop? I can feel the wooden floor (not ceiling, not wall) beneath my fingers, yes I'm in the Shop. Push, push, push. I can feel myself rising off the floor. I can finally open my eyes all the way and I can see. Everything is blurry and the colors have melted together to form a sort of ugly, murky brown._

_Blink._

_Blink._

_Vision is clearing and I am now sitting. Head is spinning, spinning, spinning out of control. Swaying to the side, I'm trying to regain my balance. Almost fell over. If I lean against the wall, I'm okay._

_People. People are coming. The door of the Shop opens and I have to stand up to greet them, greet the customers. Where has Akane gone? I'm trying to stand, gripping the wall for support._

_Who are these people? I can hear sirens...a loud, high-pitched wail that hurts my ears and echoes painfully in my head. As soon as I stand they rush towards me and I remember that the Shop isn't open for business yet. Why has Akane left the door open? Everyone knows the Shop doesn't open 'till later, what are they doing here?_

_They grab my arms. My legs begin to tremble under my weight.._

_I blink lazily and manage to open my mouth. "The Shop...is closed..." I say. Then, my eyelids become heavy and droop and I sink into the darkness once more.

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_

The house was dark. A light in the kitchen turned on, illuminating the frail figure of a small redheaded boy, who quickly began to search the nearest cabinet. He found a box of cookies. Quickly, he ripped off the top of the box and thrust his hand inside the box, eager for the delicious treats inside. No sooner had he done this than the front door opened and someone came inside, closely followed by someone else who had something small draped over one shoulder.

"Daddy," the boy said and the first man turned.

"Have you had dinner yet, Sasori?" Hideki asked.

"No, sir," Sasori replied, his hand still inside the cookie box.

Hideki frowned. "Put those cookies away and make something for yourself."

"Yes, sir," Sasori said, putting the box back where he had found it and opening the refrigerator, hoping to find something microwaveable.

Hideki turned to his companion. "Put him in Sasori's bedroom, Nagato-san," he said, motioning for him to walk into the hall.

Nagato nodded and walked away, adjusting what he was carrying on his shoulder. Sasori stood at the entrance to the kitchen, two slices of bread in his left hand, a butter knife in the other. Nagato-san was carrying a person? A little person. A little blonde person.

Was that...Deidara? What was that Deidara kid doing in his house?

Sasori huffed. He did not want that weird Deidara kid in his room. He started to spread peanut butter on one of the bread slices, tearing holes in the bread here and there, accidentally ripping out chunks of the corners, and leaving some areas with too much peanut butter and others without. He put the other slice of bread on top, put the peanut butter jar back in the refrigerator, and rinsed the knife. Then he grabbed his sandwich in one hand and walked over to Hideki.

"Daddy...why is that boy here? He's in my class, I don't like him," Sasori whined, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Hideki grinned and ruffled Sasori's hair. "Tell you what. If you go and make friends with him and you're nice to him, I'll talk to Grandma Chiyo and you won't have to visit your mom tomorrow. Deal?"

Sasori thought about it. This deal thoroughly benefited him. "Do I have to share my sandwich?"

"I'll make him one if he wants one," Hideki said, and Sasori knew that his daddy would never ever make a sandwich for anyone and he would instead make Deidara make his own sandwich, but this reassured Sasori that his daddy would keep his promise about his not having to visit his mom.

"Okay then," Sasori said, and left to his room.

"I don't want you in the living room. Nagato-san and I have things to talk about, alright?" Daddy said. He was being very nice, which meant he was very busy. Sasori nodded enthusiastically and took another bite out of his sandwich.

Deidara was lying on the bed, his long blond hair lay in a tangled mess around him. There was an incredibly painful-looking bruise on his forehead. It looked fresh, and it was bleeding. The blood had dripped down along the bridge of Deidara's nose and across his left cheek, making it look like he had a little river of blood on his face. His bottom lip was swollen, his chin bruised. The cheek on which the blood had dried on was a dark purplish color. His neck had long oval bruises, his nose was bruised on one side. Sasori could see dark marks around Deidara's ankles and wrists.

What had happened to him?

"You know, you're lucky you're half-dead, or you wouldn't be lying on my bed, dumb girl," Sasori grumbled, shooting glares at Deidara. He took a small bite from his sandwich and then wondered why he was talking to Deidara if the latter was sleeping.

Deidara's cheek twitched. "I'm not a girl." he mumbled. His eyes opened slightly. "Where am I?"

Sasori said nothing and continued to eat his sandwich.

Deidara sat up. "Where's Aoi-san? This isn't the Shop!"

Sasori quickly stood up and closed the bedroom door. "Shut up, dummy! I don't know who Aoi-san is or what shop you're talking about, but you need to keep your voice down, stupid head!"

"'Stupid head'? Don't call me a stupid head, stupid head," Deidara glared at Sasori. Sasori swallowed the last of his sandwich and stuck out his tongue at the blonde. He knew his daddy expected him to keep Deidara calm, and so he quickly came up with a lie.

"Daddy found you wandering around and brought you here because you're really hurt. He and Nagato-san just brought you here a few minutes ago," Sasori said, trying to make it sound as natural as possible.

He thought he saw a flicker of recognition in Deidara's eyes at the mention of Nagato-san but it was gone as soon as it arrived. Deidara said nothing, as though he was working something out in his head.

Ten minutes later, he opened his mouth and spoke, "Oh..."

Sasori waited for more, but there was nothing else. Deidara stared at him through big blue eyes, strands of gold hair were falling into his face and he did nothing to fix them. An unknown feeling washed over Sasori.

"We should clean up your forehead," he said. "Wait here."

It wasn't like Deidara could no anything else other than wait for Sasori. The redhead snuck into the bathroom and grabbed the first-aid kit then headed back to his room. He closed the door quietly and then sat on the bed next to Deidara.

He opened the kit and took out a small packet that contained alcohol wipes. He tore the top off and extracted the wet, paper-like wipe and used it to clean up Deidara's wound. Sasori thought he saw Deidara wince, but could not be sure. He continued to clean Deidara's forehead and face and then fished around in the first-aid kit for band-aids.

With his clumsy eight-year-old hands, he placed a couple of band-aids on Deidara's forehead so that there was now a small pile of band-aids on his bruised forehead. It looked ridiculous, but Deidara was grateful.

"Thank you," Deidara said, bowing his head politely.

Sasori shrugged and put the extra band-aids back inside the first-aid kit, then shoved said kid under the bed. "I don't like blood so I had to clean you up, dummy."

Deidara actually smiled. "Still."

Sasori said nothing and crossed over to the closet he opened it and rummaged around inside.

"If you want...we can play videogames...I have a lot. But we have to play real quiet, maybe even with the sound off, so we don't disturb Daddy and Nagato-san in the living room," Sasori said.

Deidara jumped up at once, forgetting all his troubles. "Ooh! Do you have- do you have Pac Man? I played that once at Kisame's house and it was really cool!" he was beside himself with excitement.

Sasori stopped looking for a few seconds. "Sure do! Come help me look for all my games and as soon as we find Pac Man, we can play!"

"Okay, then!" Deidara hopped off the bed and ran over to help Sasori look in the closet.

"Just watch out, I'm really good at Pac Man!" Sasori said, a devilish grin on his face.

Deidara laughed. "How much you wanna bet you can't beat my high score?"

The boys laughed and turned their attention back to the closet, where they continued to look for Sasori's games.

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**Well, I still have no idea what to do after this chapter u.u So! I'm gonna be lazy and not do anything and just wait for it to hit me like I always do :D R&R please, thank you so much!**


	17. My New Friend

**GUYS GUYS GUYS! You have to go read my boyfriend's story, he's NamikazeXUzumaki. Please review his story and at the end of your review please tell him that Allen-chan says "GET SOME SLEEP, RYUU-KUN!" :D I'll love you guys forever! AND EVER ^-^ ANYWAY, I love you guys, enjoy this really short chapter XD

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Deidara's laughter echoed around Sasori's bedroom, mingling with the eternal "wacka-wacka-wacka" coming from the T.V. Sasori groaned loudly as Pac Man collided with Pinky and collapsed in on himself, finally running out of lives. Now Deidara, who had beaten Sasori's hard-earned high score five minutes ago and still had two lives left, could play the rest of the game without interruption in case Pac Man died.

"You're really good!" Sasori exclaimed enviously.

A smile spread across Deidara's bruised and battered face. "I told ya, hm!"

Suddenly, the door opened and behind it was (you guessed it!) Nagato, wearing his usual hateful expression when his eyes fell on his son. Deidara looked at his father and as a consequence, Pac Man was attacked from all sides and died. The game began again with Deidara's last life, but Deidara was not looking at the screen. Pac Man wandered aimlessly for a bit by himself before bumping into a wall and staying there. Then he was attacked by two little ghosts and died. The screen said** 'Game Over'**, though no one seemed to notice.

"Get up, we're going home," Nagato said, a hint of impatience in his voice.

Deidara dropped the controller on the bed and stood up immediately. "Yes, sir."

"Whoa! Nagato-san is your dad, then?" Sasori's eyes widened and he looked impressed.

Deidara's smile faded. He looked on the verge of tears. He walked towards Nagato and stopped at an arm's length distance, knowing that he would not be allowed to step closer because he was trash and doing so would earn him a nice kick in the stomach that would certainly bring up the sandwich he shared with Sasori. He liked the sandwich very much and was not intending on giving it up any time soon.

"Bye bye, Deidara-kun," Sasori said in a small voice, sensing the danger radiating from Nagato.

"Bye," said Deidara, his voice cracking.

Deidara and Nagato walked through the house and out the front door. They stopped just outside the house so that Nagato could get his keys. Deidara heard a man yell inside, several heavy footsteps and then Sasori screaming shrilly. Deidara flinched without realizing he had done so and then quickly followed Nagato to the car, forcing himself not to look back and instead hoped his new friend was okay.

"You're going back to school tomorrow. You had a very high fever and fell down the stairs because you were dizzy, got it?" Nagato said as he got into the car. Deidara buckled his seatbelt and closed the car door.

"Yes, sir."

So this was how Deidara would live the rest of his life. Being bullied by this man and lying to everyone about it, being afraid and sad all the time. He had never seen any other kid in his class come to school with bruises. Except Hidan, who always had a cut or another, but he had seen Hidan do those to himself so that did not count, though why Hidan would do that at all was unknown to him. The blonde was sure he would not make it past the age of ten. He was only eight and had already seen his mother be raped and murdered, lied to the police about it, been kidnapped and beaten, escaped, then gotten beaten some more. All because of the man driving him home. If only the bastard could have kept it in the pants, used a condom, or even just pulled out, come _on_! Then maybe Deidara would not be suffering right now. Maybe he wouldn't know about things he shouldn't and that troubled his mind.

What had he done to deserve these things? Ever since he could remember, Nagato had shown him nothing but rejection. Deep down, however, though Deidara thought he hated him, he still felt something draw him to Nagato- to earn his approval and his love, because it is just human nature that we will keep searching for such things even when staring rejection in the face. If none is found, our natural affections will burn out and that was what was slowly happening to Deidara. He could only really find any acceptance from his friends but the one he yearned for the most was Nagato's. Soon there would be nothing but hatred left in his heart for the man who wore the title of father like a mask, when instead he deserved the one of murderer. Deidara thought it should be branded on his forehead so it bled and the scars would remain there forever and everyone would know. His respect would go down the drain, like his reputation, cast out of the third floor of a building and meeting its death upon impact with the concrete below. Sweet, sweet revenge. It was a dish best served cold, Deidara had heard. Whatever that meant.

However, he was only eight years old, and knew nothing about how to make a man pay for his crimes while being under five feet tall. There was no way he could do anything without dying.

"What, you gonna sleep in there, stupid?" Nagato's voice interrupted his thoughts, which were a good ten years too mature for his age but had somehow broken his mind's age barrier.

Deidara quickly opened the car door and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Together they went inside the house, which was in serious need of having the lawn mowed. Weeds and grass grew wild. This was the house without Seiryu. Somehow, when she was alive, the house stayed looking neat, the lawn stayed in control, dishes were always clean, the house always spotless. Absentmindedly, Deidara ripped out a handful of grass as he followed Nagato to the front door. He opened his small fist and the grass fell to the concrete steps in a small pile. For a moment, Deidara stopped and looked up at the house. Two of the windows on the second floor had broken and Deidara wondered when. Paint was peeling off the outside of the house and the front door's handle was dented and Deidara was sure a weak kick would break it for sure.

Nagato grabbed him by the collar of the shirt and shoved him inside the house. The place was exactly the same as it had been the last time Deidara was there. There was dark spots on the walls were Seiryu's pictures had been taken down and thrown into the backyard, the glass frames shattering and the rain that had been falling that day had soaked the photos. Deidara had managed to rescue one that had not been soaked in mud. Deidara noticed the house was very cold and had a feeling about it that made it feel unfriendly and unwelcoming- certainly the opposite of those houses you see in those home decorating magazines. There was no smiling family here, no warm light, no delicious food on the table. It was dark, his only family was Nagato, and Deidara could never be sure if there was food in the fridge or not.

The little blonde looked up at Nagato and the latter looked back, his eyes cold as ever.

"Go get yourself cleaned up, what the hell are you waiting for? You have school tomorrow. And don't wake me up tomorrow, I'm tired," he said, leaving to his room.

"Yes, sir," Deidara mumbled, watching Nagato walk up the stairs and wondering if, maybe, if he tried hard enough, he would disappear.

Just another leaf in the wind.

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**My boyfriend's butt hurts right now, include that in your review :D You all have five days to go read his story and review and include my little evil part of the review! GO GO GO! He's being all impatient! "Imma wait two days!" Anyway, please R&R! Bye bye!**


	18. Konan's Story

***THIS IS A SPECIAL CHAPTER! IT IS NOT FOLLOWING THE PLOT OF THE STORY BUT IT DOES CONNECT A LITTLE TO WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN EITHER THE NEXT CHAPTER OR IN THE NEAR FUTURE :D***

**Mmkay! FINALLY! I am SO SORRY for not updating in forever. Excuses, excuses, useless excuses D; I'd rather not waste you guys' time with them! Anyway, welcome to Part 3 of Sweet Childhood Memories :) Well, let's see...Thanks to:**

**Matsuo Tanuku- No, I did not get Seiryu's name from Chinese mythology. I actually got it from Deidara's Akatsuki ring, the Azure Dragon. I suppose it's the same as getting it from there, though, huh?**

**Kiki Uchiha**

**ImaduckQuaQua- I don't remember why his butt hurt XDD And I mentioned the title of his story in the previous chapter.**

**Dead Nagato Russ- I'm scaring you? D:**

**AkasunaSpra**

**bluestarotaku**

**You guys are the best! Oh, by the way, I was reading Sweet Childhood Memories (on my phone) yesterday and I noticed that OMG THERE ARE SO MANY SPELLING ERRORS D; It's horrible! Like...I threw up in my mouth a little! I apologize to those of you who may have been confused by my horrible editorial skills! If I didn't write such incredibly long chapters, I'd rewrite them all for you guys. I'm going to edit this chapter three times instead of two so as to make sure that I don't have any spelling errors at all! Anyway, without further ado, I present to you, Part 3 of Sweet Childhood Memories.**

**Enjoy.**

**P.S.: This is the telling of Konan's story. I'm thinking of telling the stories of the other characters as well, but I don't know when or how. :O**

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**(Three Years Later)**

**Konan's Story**

Mother's face glowed in the dim light from the candle, making the lines on her face appear more pronounced than they really were, making her appear a million years older because, to me, she was very old. I studied her tired face, seeing, no...sensing something more than she was letting on: fear and worry. She tucked a stray strand of hair, jet black streaked with silver, behind her ear. Something on her finger glinted- father's ring, the one he never took off.

We had lost Father the previous year, the year the war had started. He had left on an evening just like this one, with the rain pounding on the windows, with a smile on his face, saying that he would be back and not to worry. It was the next day that we had learned of Father's death- his platoon had been ambushed and he was amongst the 10 dead. Thus began my deep hatred for the war and the soldiers, our own and the enemy's. I had been born before the war but did not know a life without it and, though I knew now, I would have to live in this nightmarish world for two more years.

I was three years old at the time and can remember everything in full detail, down to the last crack in the wall of our old house. Though we are never old enough or prepared enough to see war without being damaged ourselves, I will say that I consider myself lucky to have not experienced as many of the horrors of the third of Amegakure's Great Wars as other people did.

Mother kissed my forehead. "Be safe, honey, you know what to do, mmkay?"

"Yes, mommy," I nodded.

When I had barely turned three, Mother had enrolled me in the only school in our town, which was so small that everybody knew each other. Because of this, everybody knew that I was not five years old, but said nothing and treated me just the same. They all knew that Mother wanted for me to get started on my education before their fears came true. They knew that the government would soon shut down the schools. They would come for the boys from the higher grades and drag them off to turn them into soldiers. They would take the girls, too, and train them to be nurses to help our wounded troops. The little ones like me would be left behind and left alone until we, too, were ready to be soldiers and nurses.

The day it finally happened was a scary one. We were lined up to go to lunch when suddenly there was a loud boom and the screams of the smaller kids- the older ones knew better. Our reaction, however, was all the same. We all threw ourselves on the ground, including the teachers, who threw themselves over the students in an effort to shield them from harm. This was something we had all been taught at school. Instead of practicing our handwriting after lunch, we were taught what to do in case the soldiers came into our schools, neighborhoods, and homes.

Somebody screamed something into a megaphone, their voice shook the silent school. I could not understand what it was as I was at the bottom of the pile of kids and everything sounded muffled. Our teacher told us to stand up and, in a single file, we all walked out into the courtyard, where the whole school was.

A small platoon of soldiers stood at parade rest in the middle of the courtyard. They were formed into four ranks, impeccably aligned. One soldier stood in front of them, the platoon leader, also at parade rest. There was another soldier standing alone at the back of the platoon, a few steps away and centered- the platoon sergeant. Each soldier had one of their arms held a rifle by their legs and we all eyed the weapons with fear.

_"Quiet!"_

At the word, we all looked up and saw another soldier standing at the landing of the stairs, holding a megaphone. He looked at us for a couple of seconds and then pulled out a piece of paper. We all knew what was going to happen now.

_"By order of the..."_

I heard muffled sobbing behind me and I turned to see my teacher crying. "They're closing the school," she said to the teacher next to her, a man, who looked on the verge of tears. "This is it. They'll take the older ones..."

And suddenly the man was reading names and boys were coming out of the crowd, some hesitant, some looking excited. They lined up beside the platoon of unmoving soldiers. As the man continued to call out names, girls also came out of the crowd, most of them crying. The man finished calling out names, and he smiled. He turned to the platoon below him.

"Stand at..._ease!"_

Every head turned towards the soldiers, afraid that they might use their weapons against us but no. They simply went into a more relaxed form of parade rest and this meant that the soldier on the stairs was going to speak now.

"All of you boys and girls that I have called out should be proud of themselves. You will be trained to serve Amegakure, and you will do it with pride. We-"

"No!"

Again, we all turned towards the sound of the noise and it was one of the girls that had been called out. She stepped out of the line and looked around with tears in her eyes, her chest heaving, body trembling. Seeing that no one would help her or do anything in her favor, she took off running.

There was a boom and the girl stopped in her tracks. She swayed for a second and then fell to the ground with a thud, blood spilling from the hole in her head. We all looked up and saw that there had been a soldier crouched on the second floor, rifle in hand, ready to shoot anyone opposed to what was happening.

Nobody screamed this time. Nobody cried.

We just stared.

"Let's avoid any further interruptions, shall we? I say we get a move on and forget what I was saying before..." he smiled again and began to walk down the stairs.

The platoon leader snapped to attention. "Platoon! _Attention!"_

The rest of the platoon also snapped to attention as one. My heart was beating fast, I was scared. What would they do?

"Port..._arms!"_

The school backed away as one as the soldier picked up their rifles and put them on their shoulders. Everybody around me was sobbing now and so I could not hear the platoon leader now, but could see the platoon split in half. Each half marched around and surrounded the boys and girls standing in the middle of the courtyard in a sort of sandwich, with the students in the middle. The platoon sergeant rearranged himself so that he was standing, centered, behind this makeshift platoon of soldiers and students

The platoon leader did an about face. "Forward...march!" and they marched out of the school, through the gates.

The soldier that had been on the landing of the stairs was now standing in the middle of the courtyard. "You have one hour. Gather your things and then get out. This school belongs to our soldiers now."

Then he was gone.

And so was Mother. I must've spaced out for too long and she was gone now. Every day she had to leave for work and I would be left alone. I placed the candle down on the wooden dinner table and sat in the living room, listening to the rain. It relaxed me.

The bullets, however, did not.

I screamed, grabbed a cushion, placed it over my head, and threw myself on the ground just as a bullet shattered the window above my head. Glass fell on the ground and I was glad to have the cushion as protection from the tiny shards that now littered the floor, like a million bits of diamond. I burst into silent tears.

The bullets stopped and somebody was screaming. I could hear voices outside the door- my heart was pounding painfully against my chest.

I flinched when the soldiers knocked down the front door but, when I saw their shiny black boots step into the house, I froze. I looked up into their faces and they looked no older than twenty-two, the age Father had been when he had died. These soldiers were not kind-faced however, and they were dirty and unshaven. They stank of sweat.

"Get up!" he yelled and, though I hated these people, I obeyed without question.

The tallest of the three soldiers grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the house. I struggled to regain my balance and my hatred for the soldiers was overwhelming at this point. I hadn't done anything wrong, but I was about to.

I stood up straight and looked into the soldier's dark eyes as we walked along in the pouring rain. We stopped at a puddle and then I took a step back.

Then, I spit on his boots.

There was a moment in which it seemed as though time had frozen. The soldier looked back at the other two that were following us and then back at me. He reached down and wiped the spit off his boots with his fingers then spread it across my face. I was careful not to make any sort of facial expression. His fingers smelled like blood.

"Well...now we have other plans for _you_, honey..." and we turned right and walked out onto the road, where there was a horizontal line of dead bodies laying on the street.

More soldiers brought people to the line of dead men and women. We were forced to kneel down in front of a body and I kneeled in front of a dead woman with the same blue dress as Mother.

Then, I realized-_ it was Mother._

There was a bullet hole on the side of her head and the blood had flowed down the side of her face, making it hard to recognize her. The rain was washing away the blood slowly, making it trickle onto the pavement. Father's ring was gone- the soldiers must have asked for it and she must've refused. They had killed her for a ring.

I don't know why I did not cry. I just put my arms behind my head like I was told and stared into mother's open eyes, wishing for her to be alive. I knew I was going to die, but I did not regret having spit on the soldier's boots.

The first shot was the loudest. I flinched and looked to the side to see an old woman fall forward, dead. I looked back at Mother's face as I heard another shot rip through the silence. Another thud. Another shot. Another thud. Soon, I knew I would feel the gun on the back of my head and then everything would be gone. I would hear no shot. I would hear no thud.

Then the shooting in the background started up again, the same that had shattered the living room window and had stopped, just in time for the soldiers to round up people they thought needed to be shot. Bullets whizzed by and there were several thuds beside me. Blood spilled onto my head from above and dripped down to my nose. The soldier who had been about to place his gun on my head fell forward on me. I was hesitant to push him off me in case anybody saw that somebody here was alive. So I lay down with my legs under the dead soldier and pretended to be dead. With the blood from other people on my face, it wasn't hard. I just lay there until the sound of the bullets died down and fell asleep.

I awoke the next day to find myself still on the cold cement. I sat up and pushed the dead soldier off of my legs and stood up, my legs wobbly and not eager to cooperate. The rain had been reduced to a light drizzle now, and I could see what they had done to our town. We lived in the poorest part of Ame, and our small little houses with their roofs made of thin sheets of metal were no match for the soldiers. I walked around and came to my house.

I had never seen it happen, but I supposed one of the soldiers had knocked down the candle on the wooden table, either by accident or on purpose, it did not matter. The rain had put out the fire before the house had been reduced to a pile of ashes but still the fire had done plenty of damage.

The roof had caved in when a part of the wall had collapsed. I could see the kitchen, covered in dirt that had turned into mud because of the rain. The door was black with soot, as were the insides of the walls. Again, I did not cry. I just stood there.

I could not walk away and so I stood there for hours, staring at the place that I had always lived in for the whole three years of my life. To a grown-up, three years was nothing. To me, it was an eternity.

"Konan!"

I turned and saw Nagato, a neighbor boy whose mother, too, had enrolled him in school very early, walking towards me. One of his cheeks was puffy and bruised, his bottom lip bloody. However, he was smiling. I ran to him and that was when I found out we were the only ones alive. As it turned out, Nagato's mother had helped him up onto the roof where he lay, as flat as he could make himself, while he heard the soldiers shoot his mother and baby sister. He had wanted to go down and do something, but was unable to come down from the roof without being shot down. He managed to still smile as he told me this and, for the first time since the soldiers had burst into the school, I cried.

I let myself fall onto the muddy ground and cried. Nagato sat down beside me, his shoulder-length red hair was plastered to his head by the rain and so I could not see him cry, but I could hear him. We sat there for hours and, when it was dark, we heard footsteps.

We scrambled to our feet and saw soldiers coming our way. Konohagakure's soldiers.

We didn't know whether to run or stay put. We had heard many things about Konoha's soldiers. For one, their army was far superior to ours. We had also heard that they were merciless and killed any of the people from Ame without a second thought. We had also heard that they were very kind to what we were now, orphans.

We decided to stay put and, pretty soon, they were close enough so that we could see every detail on their uniforms. They stopped and a man with snow-white hair walked towards us. We quickly took a step back.

He crouched down to our level and, to our surprise, he smiled. Behind him, the other soldiers walked around the small town, looking for other survivors.

"There's no one else..." I said softly.

The white-haired soldier ignored me and reached into his coat pocket. He drew out a slightly crushed packet of crackers and handed it to us. For the couple of seconds that it took us to devour the crackers, we forgot our troubles and the soldier watched us with interest.

"What's your name?" he asked me.

"Konan," I looked at him, wide-eyed. He asked Nagato the same question and then he sat down on the mud with us, not caring that it stained his uniform.

"I'm Jiraiya," the soldier said. He explained that he was staying in Amegakure, having met a couple of nice ladies he really liked, and that we were welcome to live with him.

We accepted and, the next day, we were on the road with him and his squad. Along the way we came to another town in Ame and met an orphaned boy named Yahiko. The soldiers had carried away his parents and older brother and he, like Nagato, had been told to hide on the roof. He became part of our makeshift family.

The war was over in our part of Amegakure and Jiraiya-san and the three of us moved in with him and one of his girlfriends in Iwagakure. It was towards the end of the war that Jiraiya-san received orders to go back to Konoha. He couldn't bring us and so, after saying our goodbyes, he left us with a family back in Ame that was happy to take us in.

They were not as caring as he was, and perhaps could not get used to the idea that we were their new children, as they had lost theirs in the war. They only fed us and housed us, but never managed to behave like true parents and this did not bother us. We were grateful for food and a warm bed and people to watch over us.

We were still to young to comprehend what we had lived through and so we went about our lives like normal kids.

Occasionally one of us would have a nightmare about the war, or sometimes one of us would go "funny" for a while. Going "funny" was scary, actually. Sometimes we would wake up and think we were still in the war, we would think we still needed to save all the food we had and eat slow like when we lived with Jiraiya-san. We would not speak for fear of the soldiers that were no longer to come. Whenever there was a loud noise we would throw ourselves on the ground and curl up into a little ball. Sometimes we would just sit in a corner and rock back and forth and cry. This was what our step parents called going "funny". Unable to make it stop, they would try to make it a little more bearable when it happened. They would make sure not to make any loud noises or sudden movements. They would give us snacks throughout the day and let us sit in our corner.

When we were old enough for school, we were scared. The first day we stuck together like glue. That day, I met a small blonde boy sitting at a bench. He was in my class.

I thought about him a lot, too much, in my opinion. It was clear he did not want to talk to me and so I steered clear of him. But eventually, thanks to Kakuzu and Hidan, we became friends.

This is where we are now, in fifth grade, and we have a long way to go.

* * *

**Okay...now I'm having a super hard time thinking of what to write for the next chapter. Sooo help me? D: I'll love you forever and ever and ever! R&R, yes? Thank chu!**


	19. On The Road

**Wow, is it ever great to be back! I "left" this site back in sohpomore year! I was like 15 then and dealing with high school bullshit and had no time for writing anymore :/ But guess what! Now I'm a few weeks from my 18th birthday, graduated, and just enjoying the summer before I ship out! :D**

**I want to give a HUGE thanks to Capopo468 for being the one who's review made me want to continue this story but also I apologize for having taken so long to write it, despite having replied to your review like last month. I had one whole chapter all writte, hated it, and went on to re write and entirely change the plot and chapter for a good couple of weeks D: But I think I like this version the most and so I hope you do to.**

**Again, thank you thank you thank you bunches Capopo648**

**And now for other thank yous!**

**Thank you to:**

**Hannah (Well, Sweet Childhood Memories IS the "in between" story, it's just not complete)**

**Krislove4 (I will definitely make sure to check out your story! And thank you!)**

**honeydew7**

**And now on to the new chapter, with which I hope to not disappoint! :/**

* * *

There was a soft thump as Deidara landed on the tall grass that surrounded his house. A shock of pain struck his ankles but he merely ignored it and instead reached behind him to check if all the zippers on his backpack were indeed closed. They were. Time to go.

It was around two in the morning, the blonde suspected. Certainly not a time for an eleven -year-old to be roaming the streets. He looked around and saw nothing except for a few distant pinpricks of light that must have been street lamps. Other than that, the neighborhood was engulfed in an inpenetrable darkness that, instead of scaring Deidara, filled him with hope and a sense of safety. He began walking in no particular direction, just needing to get somewhere far.

He tucked his shoulder-long hair behind his ears as he walked to keep it out of his face. He walked in jeans just a bit too short for him, and shirts just a bit too tight. His shoes were fine, but they were in bad condition. Other than that he was rather clean, having showered only a couple of hours before heading out. Deidara looked around the neighborhood as he walked, fascinated by the silence that had taken ahold of the homes surrounding his in the hours of the night. He was not used to the silence, he realized, as he passed by the home of the little old lady who always waved hello when she saw Deidara walking by on his way to school. Sometimes she offered candy, other times a homemade lunch- she had been a friend of Seiryu's and loved Deidara very much. Deidara was sad to leave her behind. A soft breeze made the hairs on Deidara's arms stand up but he enjoyed it.

As Deidara passed the gas station, he resisted the urge to go inside and buy some candy- he only had about fifty dollars (stolen from Nagato as he slept) and, young as he was, he knew they would not last long if he splurged on snacks. So on he went, walking a bit faster now, for some reason fearing he would be seen. He looked at his watch and saw that it was only two-thirty three a.m. He had plenty of time to get away to wherever he wanted to go- not that he knew where he wanted to go.

Under other circumstances, he might have gone to visit Seiryu's grave as he often did after school. This was no longer possible as Nagato had found out about Deidara's visits and had ordered the headstone be removed and, despite having been there hundreds of times, Deidara relied on the big white headstone to tell him where his mother lay buried. Without it he did not know where she was and had no way of going to see her. Instead he comforted himself by talking to her quietly every day before he went to bed, hoping she could hear him, always awaiting a response that deep down he knew would never come.

He passed the store were Akane worked at with her mom and went up to the door. His hand hovered a few inches in front of the door, and he found that he could not bring himself to knock. He let his hand drop by his side and continued to walk, eventually reaching downtown.

By that time it was three a.m.

* * *

**Sasori's POV**

How great was it that I was finally able to walk to school by myself? I felt like a total beast, just walking down the street and, if I was taller, I could totally pass off as one of the high school kids. Unfortunately being eleven meant that you weren't very tall, and so I just was just a lucky sixth grader that was allowed to go to school by himself.

I looked for Deidara all during the morning, and, when the bell rang, I got a bit worried. He wasn't anywhere to be seen and as I walked into class I saw that he wasn't there either. Where could he be?

Nobody else really seemed that concerned, as Deidara was often absent from school. This was different, though. I felt it in my gut- a low, sinking feeling. This time it was different, something was off, something was wrong and I didn't like it. I decided that, if he didn't show up tomorrow, I would go looking for him after school. I stopped myself right there._ Why_ was I suddenly going overboard with this? What if he was just sick and I was over here making a big deal out of nothing?

I almost laughed out loud and just decided to put my head down on my desk and smile. Man, was I ever a total girl for stuff like this. Boys weren't supposed to worry about dumb stuff like that, it was ridiculous.

Instead, I got out my workbook and turned to page 35 like we had been instructed. Oh, decimals. Wonderful.

* * *

It was around 9 a.m. that Deidara decided to stop walking. He had reached a park that Sasori's grandmother had once taken them to. He knew from what she had said that this was pretty far from the are Deidara lived in, as well as a dangerous area. The blonde looked around, nothing seemed dangerous. Just toddlers playing and being supervised by their parents. He sat at a far bench and reached into his backpack for one of the couple of sandwiches that he had brought along with him.

While munching on the sticky peanut buttery mess, he realized that not knowing where the hell he was headed was a much bigger deal to him now that he had gotten this far.

He looked around the park almost fearfully and, for a second, even considered asking one of the grownups around there for a ride back to school, but quickly decided against it. He reached up and felt the lump in his side, consequence of Nagato's repeated kicking and rememebered his reasons for leaving. Nevertheless, he could see how this was all starting to become really stupid. For example, he had nowhere to stay. He had a measly amount of money and only what he could fit in his backpack, which was just a few water bottles, a pair of pants, a shirt, clean underwear (because Seiryu had always insisted he changed his undies), the sandwiches, his toothbrush, toothpaste, and comb.

At the time it had seemed like enough to even start living wherever but now Deidara realized it wasn't very much for a kid such as himself.

He got up from the bench, brushing crumbs off of himself, and looked at his watch again. It was only nine fifteen and so he decided that he could do with a bit more walking. The blonde first got out a water bottle and, after a few quick gulps of water, put it back, closed his backpack, and started walking again.

Soon he realized this was not a part of town for a child to be wandering around in. The streets weren't as nice as he was used to, they were dirty and full of people that seemed in a hurry to get nowhere in particular. It was ridiculous, the pace these people moved at. You'd think everyone got some bad news all at the same time and were trying to get home to asssess said situations.

Deidara kept walking and found himself in front of what seemed like a half-finished building, except that no one was there, no machines, no workers. It seemed abandoned.

The blonde opened the unlocked fence gates surrounding the building and walked into the structure, looking around. It was definitely cooler in here, and smelled of dust and cigarettes. Why it would smell of cigarettes, he was not sure.

He continued with his self-given tour, walking into all the rooms which were pretty much the same except for the way the windows were arranged. The more he walked, the more Deidara convinced himself that this is where he wanted to stay. It was empty wasn't it? And free. He lay out all his stuff in the smallest room, which felt the most comfortable, and went around the building to see if he could not find anything that might be of good use.

On the second floor he found a couple of tarps that were probably used by painters and decided they might make okay blankets. He dragged them downstairs, humming slightly to himself, feeling slightly more cheerful about running away now that he had found a place where he would not be disturbed.

Deidara spent the rest of the day going between the two floors and gathering random things. He found a construction worker's hat and put that on, pretending he was working on the building, even picking up a forgotten hammer from the floor and banging on the walls with it, going, "Why, yes, I _am _the best carpenter in the area!" and laughing to himself.

In this time he spent playing, the blonde was able to forget about all his troubles, and he felt liberated. He felt free and he could laugh and run around without anybody to beat him up for it.

It was around five now and Deidara felt that he should leave the other rooms un-explored until the next day. For now, he was tired, but also in need of dinner.

With a jolt, he remembered that he had money to spend. He ran downstairs and to the toolbox he had brought from the next room. He opened the latch and got his backpack out, took out a few dollars, and then proceeded to lock it back up again before running out of the building and into the city.

Deidara walked into the first little restaurant he came across and ordered a kid's meal burger and milk. The cashier stared at Deidara and then tried to inconspicuously look around for his parents. When she found none, she took the blonde's money slowly and gave him his change along with his receipt. He thanked her and went to stand by the soda machine to wait for his order to be ready. He stuck his change and receipt in his pocket and, when they called his order, he grabbed his food and went to go find a booth, where he sat down and ate his meal silently but eagerly.

As he chewed, he thought that maybe this wasn't so bad. These hours away from Nagato had been wonderful, despite having temporarily worried about where he might go or was going and how he was going to survive. For now all his worries were forgotten, his stomach was full and he was happy.

He made his way back to the building, walking slowly so as to relish his freedom. It was a few days from his twelfth birthday and he couldn't imagine a better way to spend it than away from his dad and feeling like a grownup. He knew that soon he would need more money for food, but he would cross that bridge when he got there.

Through the gate and into the building he went, listening to his footsteps echoing in the darkness, it was now six forty-five p.m. and Deidara knew better than to stay out any later in this area he knew so little about.

He made his way through the darkness to the room he had chosen as his own, making a mental note to go find a dollar store tomorrow and buy a flashlight or something. In an instant, however, all thoughts about flashlights, birthdays, freedom, and fun were wiped from his mind as a voice came out from the darkness, a voice that for now had no owner until said owner showed him or herself.

"Who are you, kid? What are you doing here?"

Deidara froze, only a few feet from "his" room, not daring to look back.

* * *

**I have to admit, I kind of really got into it towards the middle! :O I'm sorry this was kind of short, but I couldn't resist slapping on some suspense! Well anyway, R&R yes?**

**Thank you :)**


	20. Shinji and Katsumi

**Hey, guys! Well, hopefully you all caught that in the previous chapter, a couple of years had gone by, which is why it's mentioned that Deidara's eleven. I forgot to put it D: So I'm sorry if there was any confusion. **

****I also wanted to mention that I apologize if there is any deterioration in the quality of my writing and also that I am not able to post one chapter after the other. I am having a lot of problems at home. Well, let me rephrase that. I've always had problems at home, but now that I've turned 18 for some reason they've gotten a lot worse so I am constantly on edge and am not even sure I'll be living with my parents much longer. With that said, I hope you will excuse the lateness of this chapter.****

**Well, here we go! Special thanks to:**

**Yuumaiko (Thank you so much, that really means a lot!)**

**Capopo468(Don't worry, I'm hooked on it too now! XD)**

**And...here we go, enjoy ;)**

* * *

"Hey, kid, I fuckin' asked you a question," A deep gravelly voice. It was not yelling but it had a way of carrying around the whole room as if it _had_ been yelling. The owner of the voice stepped closer- Deidara could hear the shuffling footsteps approaching until he thought they were right behind him.

In an instant, a hand grabbed the blonde's arm and spun him around so that he came face to face with a pair of gray eyes staring down at him from beneath bushy eyebrows and filthy shoulder-length hair. Deidara opened his mouth to speak but managed only a small squeak: a pathetic noise that voiced only the boy's fear and desperation to get away. He confirmed this desperation by tugging away from the stranger's grip and attempting to step backwards, all the while never looking away from those cold gray eyes that bored into his own blue ones.

"_Name?!_" the stranger shook Deidara and it was this that prompted him to respond.

"Deidara," the blonde replied. "My name is Deidara..."

"Huh..." the stranger let go of Deidara's arm and stared at him. "Well, alright Deidara. What the hell are you doing here? Alone, I mean."

It was now that Deidara realized the girl that accompanied this stranger before Deidara. She was short, maybe about fifteen or sixteen years old, with long black hair down to her waist and eyes a deep gray. She shuffled around, as if she could not find a comfortable way to stand, and looked from the man before Deidara to Deidara himself, looking anxious. The blonde tore his gaze away from the girl and faced the man in front of him again.

"I...I guess I left my...well, I live here now...in that room," Deidara pointed at the room behind him, the room that contained everything he had brought with him.

The man snorted. "Kid, we live here. How the hell are you gonna tell me you can just barge in here and say you live here?"

Deidara's stomach dropped. "I- I have nowhere else to go, sir...My d-dad-"

"Nevermind the fuckin' details, kiddo. Shit's not important 'till I ask, yeah? Tell you what. Sure, what the fuck, you can live here. You gotta help us out though. Makin' money, stayin' alive. Gotta contribute, you know?"

Again, Deidara looked at the girl, who was tugging at a lock of hair, staring down at the ground. He could not help but feel that he was getting himself into something greater than he could imagine or handle and although he didn't care for situations that called upon skills which he had not yet aquired, he realized that, whatever his future living here with these two may hold, he really did have nowhere else to go and therefore had no choice. Deidara sighed, slowly accepting the fact that he was probably going to have to give this guy all of his money or even the sandwiches. That was a terrible deal! Deidara had a weakness for that certain brand of peanut butter he had used in the sandwiches, it was his favorite!

Finally, the blonde nodded, accepting that he might lose his delicious sandwiches to this man. The stranger stuck out his hand and Deidara took it. They shook hands and then the stranger's expression softened- he smiled.

"Welcome to the fam, kid. Name's Shinji. This," he stepped aside and pointed at the girl, who looked up in surprise. "is Katsumi, my sister."

"Hi," she muttered, holding up a hand as a substitute for a wave. Voice soft as silk.

"Nice to meet you both," Deidara said, smiling. For some reason, knowing their names put the blonde at ease.

"Well, Deidara," Shinji said. "Tell you what. Let's move your stuff up to where we stay in this place that way we can be all together and that'll be safer. We don't need no fuckin' weirdos comin' in here in the middle of the night and pulling some weird shit on you."

Deidara chuckled. He had often heard Nagato talk this way, but when Shinji did it, it was funny. "Yeah, alright..."

* * *

The next morning, Deidara shared his sandwiches with Shinji and Katsumi, who both declared that they hadn't had this good of a breakfast in a good while.

"So, how old are you anyway?" Shinji asked, licking peanut butter off of his fingers, his eyes on the blonde.

"Eleven," Deidara replied, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"That's crazy, that's when I started out on my own too," Shinji said, taking out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He shook one loose, stuck it in his mouth, and lit it. "So you smoke, do drugs, or what?"

Deidara looked at Shinji almost apologetically. "No, not anything."

He watched Katsumi take a cigarette from the pack and light it as well. She looked very pale this morning, or maybe that was the way she always was. Deidara couldn't be sure as the first time he saw her, she had been bathed in shadow. She had dark circles under her eyes and Deidara could see that she was trembling ever so slightly and even looked like she was going to be sick. Her skin, he noted, looked ever so slightly transparent and it seemed that the veins on the inside of her arms showed right through because they looked very dark. Shinji, it seemed, was used to her being like this because he did not even glance at her.

"Well, you're never too young to start, kiddo. Here take a puff," Shinji held the cigarette out to Deidara, who took it and then just held it, feeling clueless. He watched the smoke rise up to the ceiling, watched it also come out of the filter, stained a dark yellow.

"Uhh..." Deidara looked up helplessly at Shinji, feeling his stomach tighten, his hands starting to tremble with the knowledge that he was about to do something he had always been told was bad. "I- I don't..."

"Ahh, shut _up_, take a puff, kid. Just stick your mouth on there, and inhale the smoke then exhale," Shinji said, almost laughing. "Hope you know we don't always got food and this is damn good for those shitty times. Don't be a pussy, blondie."

Deidara sighed and did as he was told.

The taste was terrible and the blonde coughed as he felt the smoke in his throat, feeling slightly scared as he watched smoke erupt in puffs out of his mouth as he coughed. This was followed a few seconds later by a feeling of lightheadedness that the blonde found quite pleasant. Shinji watched Deidara as the blonde looked down at the cigarette and took another, smaller, drag. This time there was less coughing, and it was easier to tolerate. The taste was still terrible, but didn't bother Deidara for some reason. It was weird, knowing that something tasted bad but not minding it. That was the magic of these things, he supposed.

"Ha, see? Damn, kid, nice job," Shinji laughed. "That shit's almost down to the filter, so you can keep it. I'll get me another."

Deidara was beyond himself with mixed feelings of surprise, shame, and, oddly, joy. He was conscious of the fact that he was starting to feel slightly nauseous, but took a bite of his sandwich, and the sensation disappeared for a bit. He couldn't believe he was smoking, he had always been told that it was a terrible and nasty thing to do but now that the blonde had done it, it wasn't that bad. That, and he wanted to please Shinji, who seemed elated at the sight of Deidara not rejecting the cigarette.

He had smoked the cigarette all the way down to the filter and then, imitating Nagato, threw what remained onto the floor and stepped on it to put it out. Shinji laughed. "Well aren't you full of surprises? Shit, I was just about to tell you how to do that but fuck that, seems like you got the hang of it. So how was it or what?"

"It...wasn't as bad as people make it out to be," Deidara replied, feeling lightheaded and calm. He liked this.

"Alright then! Well, what do you say to another one later? Can't give you one right now or you'll puke up your sandwich, trust me I know that," and Shinji laughed harder than ever and Deidara didn't mind. "Well then, let's get Katsumi all fixed up and then we'll go see about spending that money you were talking about on some useful shit!"

Deidara nodded. He stood up, feeling the world tilt ever so slightly. He didn't mind. He didn't know it, but this short nicotine high was going to be the start of a long journey for him.

He collected all the plastic wrap off the floor and balled it up into a ball, listening to Shinji whispering something to Katsumi and then hearing the lighter click a couple of times. The blonde went to the window and looked out, spotted a trash can, and threw the wad of plastic wrap out, just barely missing the trash can. Oh, well, he'd get it later. He watched the light breeze blow the ball around until it finally got caught in some weeds. He wondered if his spit would fly if he spit out the window. He poked his head out further and spit out a large glob of saliva. It fell straight down and did not fly. Deidara watched it splatter on the dirt below. He turned around facing the room again and found himself staring at Shinji putting down a spoon and holding up a needle filled with a brownish something up to the light.

The strange nicotine high was fading away now. Deidara rubbed his eyes and was slightly surprised to discover that his hands smelled strongly of cigarettes. He looked up again and saw that Shinji had handed the needle to Katsumi. His gaze traveled to Shinji, who stepped forward and said, "So, I think we really need a flashlight for this place. Or maybe even like a little battery powered lamp, 'cuz it gets dark as fuck in here."

"Why not a package of glowsticks? It's cheaper and you get more out of it, I guess. I mean, they light really good, and one will last a couple hours...the lamp would constantly need new batteries. The glowsticks would outlast the batteries in the lamp," Deidara suggested.

He looked down at Katsumi, who threw the needle down on the floor and untied what looked like a large rubber band from her arm and threw that on the floor too. Her eyes slowly closed and she slumped back against the wall. Shinji caught Deidara staring and said, "Oh, don't mind her. She's just high. C'mon, let's go."

And they left.

* * *

**Nagato POV**

I had woken up yesterday to find that the brat had already left to school. I got out of bed and got myself a drink, feeling like staying home today. Because your to-do list can go fuck itself once in a while, and that's alright. Then I decided, what the fuck, eh? One drink, fuck that, I'd get fuckin' drunk today. And that's what I did.

Today I woke up at 6 a.m. and went to close the brat's bedroom door so that I could pack a bowl and smoke without him complaining about the smell. I approached the door and saw that the kid wasn't in bed. I walked into the room and realized he was gone.

"DEIDARA!" I roared, feeling myself getting angry. No reply.

Where the fuck could the kid be? Was it possible he had been gone for a good while and I hadn't even noticed? He had probably left the previous morning, now that I thought about it. I ran about the house, looking in all of my hiding places to make sure that the little shit hadn't taken anything from me. Nothing was out of place, the only place left to look was my wallet, which I was sure he hadn't been stupid enough to stick his dirty little hands into. It was right on my bedside table when I slept, the kid would've had to be stupid as shit to take anything from there.

I opened my wallet and saw that it was empty. I had had fifty dollars in there, fifty dollars that weren't mine. And they were gone. That fucking cunt! That little shit had takent the money!

"_Fucking piece of shit!_" I yelled, throwing my wallet as hard as I could at the wall. I grabbed a shirt and shoes and struggled to put them on, feeling as if I would explode with anger. I ran downstairs with the intention of heading out the door and out into the city to look for that little fuck that was unfortunately my son, the little thief. I never got to the door, my attention turned to a mirror and, before I knew it, my fist flew at the mirror, shattering it into a million pieces, many of which embedded themselves in my skin and I roared angrily, ripping out the shards of glass, conscious of the fact that my hand was now bleeding copiously.

I rinsed off and bandaged my hand and decided to fuck it all. He would come home eventually. I grabbed a beer and sat down on the couch, taking note of the CD case on the table on which there was a little mound of cocaine along with a few lines already prepared.

Yeah, it was better to stay home and wait...

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**Huh...wasn't as good as I wanted it to be but then again I only took about 45 minutes on it. Well R&R? :)**


	21. Awesomesaurous Rex

**Well, I feel really accomplished, I got this chapter done in about an hour! Ah, it's not as long as I'd like it to be but I think that's okay because towards the end of this chapter I got REALLY into writing it, it was amazing, I just had a sudden stroke of inspiration so now I know exactly what's gonna go down the next chapter which, by the way, will be a SPECIAL CHAPTER like the one that tells the story of Konan's childhood.**

**Moving on, special thanks go to:**

**Capopo468 (Wow, thank you! Haha, that's awesome :3)**

**Aaaand, enjoy ;D**

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Walking through town by himself, Deidara found that he did not attract much attention from the robots that were the people hurrying down the street. With Shinji by his side, however, it was not so easy to weave in and out of the crowd unnoticed as they attracted several glances from curious onlookers, most of which were of disapproval.

Conscious of the fact that his twelfth birthday was only a few days away, Deidara made it a point to save some money for himself so that he could get himself a present. He was positively beside himself with excitement at the thought of a birthday where Nagato would not be present to deliberately forget his birthday or beat the crap out of him. However, he didn't want to upset Shinji if it seemed that he was holding back on their "deal", so he decided to tell him he was saving some cash for himself.

"Shinji-san?" Deidara jogged a bit to catch up to the older man, who walked in that pace that children never do seem to be able to keep.

"Eh, I'm not your grandpa, blondie. It's Shinji, just Shinji," came the reply, followed by a chuckle.

"Well okay. My birthday's in a few days so...I'm keeping a bit of money to myself so I can get myself a present," Deidara said cautiously, all too used to Nagato's violent reactions to the simplest of stimuli and therefore expecting the same from the rest of the world.

Shinji looked pensive for a bit. "Birthday, eh? Well, sure, whatever, keep some bucks for yourself. Take like ten and go buy yourself like a...a what-the-fuck ever you midgets like."

Deidara almost laughed but then just smiled. "Thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah," Shinji muttered.

They were approaching a gas station, which Shinji said sold plenty of flashlights, batteries, and probably glowsticks too. If not, he said, they could always go to the dollar store across the street and get the glowsticks there.

It was small and cramped inside the little store, with a couple of people navigating through the tiny aisles, trying not to look suspicious, which was impossible with the tiny amount of merchandise available and the outrageous amount of time they were taking to peruse through it all. Shifty eyes moved between the cash register, the security camera, and the aisles. The bell above the door rang pleasantly as Shinji and Deidara walked inside the store, feeling the blast of refrigerated air hit their faces. Deidara's hair flew everywhere and the blonde simply placed it behind his ears, as did Shinji.

"Go look for the glowsticks or whatever. I'll get us a pack or two of fros," Shinji ordered.

Deidara went and walked through all the aisles, finding all sorts of goodies that made his mouth water but he tore his gaze away from them and continued on his quest for glowsticks. They were nowhere to be found and he could feel the cashier's eyes on the back of his head. He went back to the register where Shinji was standing, holding two packs of Marlboros that he had just bought.

"No glowsticks," he apologized.

"Ah, fuck it. Let's go hit up the dollar store," Shinji motioned for Deidara to follow him outside, which he did. They walked across the street and into the tiny store, once again feeling a blast of pleasantly cool air. This time nobody really minded these two strangers that looked like they really shouldn't be walking around together and no stares of disapproval were given.

The glowsticks were easily found in the toy aisle. To Deidara's delight, there were several types in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but Shinji merely grabbed a pack of regular yellow stick ones that contained about ten. He did a double take, grabbed another bag, and headed to the register, leaving Deidara to explore the toy aisle for a bit.

The blonde grabbed a plastic dinosaur from a tray containing many little clones of it and decided it would be perfect to use it to attack the little doll people on the shelf above.

"Oh no!" Deidara whispered. "The poor little townspeople are being attacked by an Awesomesaurous Rex! Run townspeople,_ run_!"

He threw the dinosaur onto the shelf with the little people, sending little dolls flying everywhere and made tiny little explosion noises for the occasion, completely unaware that Shinji was done paying for the glowsticks and was now standing beside Deidara, watching with ill-disguised amusement.

"What's this? Awesomesaurous Rex has laser beams? Nooo! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Aaahhh!" Deidara giggled as he headbutted the tiny people with the dinosaur's head, scattering them around the shelf.

He made more laser noises and was sad to discover that the population of little doll people had greatly declined since the arrival of Awesomesaurous Rex. Something had to be done. The little people had to act fast and save their kind or else they would go extinct. That was a bad thing, they shouldn't go extinct, they were the only ones left of their kind! All of the other little doll villages had been ravaged by other Awesomesaurous Rexes and there had been no survivors. Deidara considered forming a tiny army with the surviving dolls but realized he needed a tank or two, but there were none close by and he really didn't want to leave the doll people alone with the-

"_Jesus_, kid, what's the matter with you?"

Shinji's voice brought Deidara back from his fantasy and the blonde jumped up and turned around, startled by the sudden noise. "Oh...uh...aren't you supposed to be paying for the glowsticks?" Deidara muttered, feeling himself turn red.

Despite this, he stared longingly at the dinosaur and plastic people. And at the other toys, too. He knew what he wanted for his birthday.

"I_ already_ payed for them, fucktard. Now, c'mon...ya lunatic..."

* * *

"So, like, what the fuck kid, you gonna start going to school or you're just gonna leave it?" Shinji asked, after walking a few minutes in silence.

Deidara blinked. "Uh...I hadn't thought about that, actually..."

"Well aren't you quite the planner?"

"Hey, I left in a hurry, 'kay?" Deidara mumbled defensively, frowning. "Though I suppose I would like to see my friends..."

"Hmm. We'll talk about that later, I guess. In the meantime, tell you what. On your birthday, take your ten bucks and I'll walk you over to a friend's house or somethin'. Have a blast, kiddo. Ya might even earn a place at your friend's house and you won't have to live with us in that shitty place," Shinji said casually, and, for some reason, his words hurt. It seemed ridiculous, but already Deidara was attached to Shinji and Katsumi, perhaps because they had so far treated him fairly well with no real obligation to do so. Well, Shinji had, anyway. Katsumi had not spoken so far apart from her shy little, "Hi." the previous night.

"Well sounds great! Except for the staying with a friend. I don't wanna be a mooch. I'd rather stay with you and Katsumi-san...at least I can contribute. Remember? You said I should contribute," Deidara smiled up at Shinji, who chuckled and nodded. "So where are we going, hm?"

"Eh, just to someone's house to get some shit for Katsumi and I. I got a couple bucks, too, so don't you worry about me spending all your cash all at once. And here, take your birthday shit," Shinji handed Deidara the ten dollars for the blonde's upcoming birthday and Deidara muttered his thanks as he pocketed the money.

Shinji lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, sighing contentedly. He passed it to Deidara, who took it carefully, still not accustomed to the smooth paper cylinder and took a drag himself, this time able to stifle the coughing. The pleasant lightheaded sensation returned. This earned him and Shinji even more looks of disapproval from the people that passed them by, but nobody said a word and that was what really mattered.

* * *

**Shinji POV**

We had eaten the rest of the kid's sandwiches and he had gone downstairs and out of the building to throw the plastic wrap away and I suggested he explore the rest of the building once he came back inside, which he seemed eager to do. I heard Katsumi stir beside me and looked over at her.

She sat slumped against the wall, eyes half closed and mouth slightly open, looking like shit. Her hair was dirty, face pale, track marks visible even in the dim light, her arms hugging a little bundle. Soon I'd have to use one of the glowsticks, it was getting dark. But I decided to wait until it was really dark. Somehow it seemed a waste to use one when I could still see.

The bong water was filthy, and I mentally slapped myself for forgetting to get a water bottle at the gas station. Oh well. I grabbed the little makeshift bong, made out of a bottle of soda. I removed the bowl and cleared the inside, all the while keeping my eye on Katsumi, who had a tendency to stop breathing when she went too deeply into her nod. I quietly broke up a nug and in the time I looked down to remove stem pieces and seeds, she had woken up.

"Shinji..."

I quickly turned to look at her and saw her wipe drool off her chin with the back of her hand. A part of me, one that still lived in a time years ago, was ever so slightly repulsed by the sight of this shell of a girl that was somehow my sister. She was no longer sweet little Katsumi who always smiled, even after our parents died.

Little Katsumi who once heard me telling a neighbor that we were flat broke and I had no idea what to do with rent being due the next day and proceeded to grab the big canister of Ice Tea mix from the kitchen and a stack of plastic cups. She ended up making two big pitchers of tea and set up a little iced tea stand outside the apartments we lived in. She came back only an hour later with a fistful of dollar bills and a pocketful of change and promptly dropped it all onto the kitchen counter where I was carefully rationing our leftover food to make it last a few more days. She had smiled at me in that sweet and innocent way and simply said, "For rent." and then had left outside to gather the two empty pitchers. As I heard her turn on the hose that the entire apartment complex shared to rinse out the pitchers, I felt tears well up in my eyes at the innocence and pureheartedness of that little girl. I quietly pocketed the money and, the next day, handed it all to the landlord and promised I'd have the remainder to him by the end of the day, if it meant going door to door offering to clean apartments. I still remember the old man's smile as he pressed the money back into my hands. His voice, soft and caring, spoke to me.

_"Keep it, son. I saw little Katsumi-chan with her little stand of ice tea out there yesterday, standing in the hot sun, sweating and refusing to go home until every last glass was sold. I know you didn't ask her to go out there, I know she did it because she knows you're having money troubles. Keep the money and go buy her a doll. Buy her the prettiest doll you can find, and give it to her for Christmas. This month's rent is on me, don't you worry. Take care of her, she's a right good girl."_

And with that, he had closed the door.

"I will," I whispered, wishing I had said it back then and so I was surprised to hear myself say it now, when the old man had long since been dead.

"Shinji..."

Her voice broke into my thoughts and I blinked almost confusedly. "Yeah, sis...?"

"I'm cold," she mumbled. I immediately removed the light jacket I was wearing and draped it over her.

She blinked slowly, licking her dry, cracked lips. "Hey...remember that old man...? The landlord at the apartments we lived at."

"Yeah, I was just thinking about him, actually," I replied, feeling my heart skip a beat at the realization that we had been sharing thoughts without realizing it.

"He was a sweet old man, he was," she whispered.

"Yeah, he was," I said, packing the bowl. I wasn't so sure about smoking, now, but for some reason the memory of that day brought a familiar pain to my chest, a feeling of not getting enough air and it brought tears to my eyes. I proceeded with what I was doing, scooping some weed that had fallen out of the bowl back into the bowl and packing it down a bit.

"Yeah..." Katsumi muttered, and, as I looked over at her, I could see that she had drifted off to sleep again, and my jacket did not obscure what she was cradling in her arms. A small doll with messy blonde hair and a stained face. Large blue eyes stared straight ahead, small rosy red lips curved into a sweet smile. That doll was nine years old now. I smiled, remembering the cashier's amused face when I, a then-teenage guy, had set a doll down in front of her and then proceeded to pay with a load of wrinkled bills and dirty loose change. I had stashed the doll in a closet and handed it to Katsumi months later on Christmas morning and laughed when she jumped up and down with excitement.

I chuckled and clicked the lighter, holding the flame over the bowl and inhaling as the bong filled with thick white smoke and the water gurgled, ready to let go of my thoughts.

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**I have this need for sad background stories hahaha...Ah, well, I like it. Hopefully everyone does too! So R&R please, I'm gonna get started on the new chapter right away! :)**


	22. Shinji's Story

****SO THIS IS YET ANOTHER SPECIAL CHAPER! NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STORY BUT STILL HAS TO DO WITH THE STORY...IF THAT MAKES SENSE? THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW SHINJI AND KATSUMI BECAME HOMELESS. WHO DOESN'T LOVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND? :)****

**I am on a roll today, if I do say so myself ;D Well, I kinda liked how this chapter turned out. I have pretty damn high standards for myself. **

**Well, hope you enjoy this SPECIAL CHAPTER! :))**

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**Shinji POV**

It was dark now and I stood up to turn on the living room light, squinting at the sudden change in lighting and yawning. I flopped back down on the couch and continued to watch the not-so-funny talk show that was on TV, as it was the only mildly interesting thing on at this hour. I was still waiting for my parents to come home, as they had driven over to the town a couple of miles north to visit our relatives. It was about a four hour drive between here and the little town that was their destination, so I was not worried that they were not back yet. I quietly sipped my coffee and lowered the volume slightly in consideration for Katsumi, who was sleeping in the next room.

The phone rang and I raced to it, hoping the sudden noise had not awakened my sister. It was nearly impossible to get that little girl to go to bed and I would be seriously upset if I had to go through the routine of putting her to bed more than once today.

"Hello?" I made it a point to sound slightly annoyed, even a little sleepy, so as to let the caller know that they had not only disturbed my sleep, but that I did not welcome late-night calls.

_"Shinji?"_

"Ai?" I asked, surprised. She was my cousin, and I assumed she was calling to let me know that my parents were barely on their way home and not to worry, which was completely unnecessary as I was not worrying at all.

_"Yeah. Shinji, I uh...I have some bad news,"_ she sounded on the verge of tears, speaking as though someone had their hands clamped around her throat. I immediately thought to her pregnancy. She was only five months along and I hoped she was not calling to tell me she had lost the child. Even if she was, I wondered why she would be calling so late. Surely something like that deserved to be disclosed in person and while fully awake, both of which I was not.

"What is it?"

There was a pause. _"Shinji...your parents..."_

I felt myself grip the receiver tightly, hoping, almost pleading that she would not finish her sentence the way I already knew she would. I swallowed, suddenly aware that my mouth and throat had gone very dry. I did not know why I had this feeling of knowing what was going to come next.

_"Shinji, your parents...my aunt and uncle, they're dead."_

I inhaled with difficulty, suddenly feeling as though my intestines had been filled with ice cubes. "...How?"

_"Their car went off the road and they crashed into a tree. The rain's pretty heavy-"_

I turned to the window and saw that it was not raining. I felt something inside of me break and, all at once, all of my anger and pain from the news came spilling out

"IT'S NOT RAINING! DON'T YOU FUCKIN' LIE TO ME! WHAT RAIN?!_ WHAT RAIN?_ TELL ME THEY'RE ALIVE! _TELL ME!_" I shrieked into the phone, hearing my voice crack and I knew I sounded pathetic the way I was losing control of my emotions at the news of my parents' death. But I could not help this.

_"Shinji! It's raining over here! It's raining really bad! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"_ She burst into tears and, even through the phone, I could hear the hurt in her sobs. The hurt of losing her aunt and uncle, and the hurt of her only cousin yelling at her for something completely out of her control. And I found that I, too was crying, and my hurt could be heard through my childish sobs as well. I lowered the receiver and, in a fit of rage, grabbed the phone and ripped it out of the wall, cables and all, and threw it as far as I could so that it collided with the refrigerator ten feet away. The resulting crash echoed throughout the house that was silent except for my hysterical crying.

"No! No! No!_ No!_" I was only eleven years old. Katsumi was six. What the hell were we supposed to do?

I screamed up at the ceiling, a high-pitched animal sound. It was the sound of bitter pain and desperation, of hopelessness, loss, and despair. All those times I had felt big and bad, strutting around town like I was the shit. And now I found myself small and defenseless, facing the inevitable fact that I was nothing more than a little boy.

I went around the living room punching things and upending cushions on the couch. I would never see my parents again. I was writhing with the sensation of this pain eating me alive, feasting on my great vulnerability, laughing at my inability to deal with the circumstances. This was not something you learned at school. Nobody fuckin' taught you what to do when you suddenly became a parent to your sister. Nobody said, "Hey, here's how you make money!" Because he knew his aunt and uncle would not be able to take him and Katsumi in. They were far too poor. As far as he knew, his parents did not have any money in the bank. And if they did, it was probably a measly amount. They were big spenders.

"_FUCK!_" His fist hit the wall and made a dent, pain shot through Shinji's arm but he did not react to it. He punched the wall again. And again. And again.

"Shinji-kun..."

The sleepy little voice brought Shinji's wild tantrum to an instant halt. He whirled around, breathing heavily, tears and snot running down his face. He could feel that his eyes were very swollen.

"What's wrong?" Katsumi asked, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Katsumi-chan..." And the rest of the sentence caught in my throat and I desperately tried to get the words out, but they were stuck, refusing to come out, refusing to voice the details of the tragic incident. Because if I did not voice them aloud, they meant nothing. There could be no truth in words not spoken aloud. I held onto this belief for a few seconds, until Katsumi's innocent stare and genuine confusion made me realize that this was not something I could change. I would have to tell her. I would have to voice it out loud and make it come true because not doing so would be an injustice to her. To myself as well.

I inhaled deeply, meaning to step forward and embrace her before telling her, but I found myself rooted to the spot.

"Katsumi-chan, mom and dad...something happened. Mom and dad are in heaven now," I said, and my voice rang throughout the room, loud and clear, strong, even, despite the fact that I was falling apart inside. There. I had said it. And now they really were dead. There was no way around it now.

And she stood there, in her pink footsie pajamas, her expression confused. She stood there with that same aura of innocence and benevolence, unchanged and undamaged by the news. I saw her face screw up for a second, and then she made a sort of chewing motion and her face became calm again. But her eyes were filled with tears and her face had taken on that blotchy red tone that it always did whenever she was about to cry. She ran to me, and it was nothing but the pitter-patter of her tiny feet on the carpet. I crouched down and extended my arms. She practically tackled me, and her little arms flew around my neck and wrapped themselves so tightly it seemed that she might never let go. I stood up and her tiny legs wrapped around me. I wrapped one arm around her back, the other around her bottom to keep her from falling off, and I held her. I, who was older than her but still just a kid, held my little sister and stroked her hair while tears flowed down my face. I had no words of comfort. There were none to offer and so instead I stood in the middle of the living room, with the people in the not-so-funny TV talk show still blabbing on. And I held her and cried. I could hear her sniffling and crying in that quiet way she always did. That was the worst type of crying when it came to her. She only cried that way when she was truly hurt.

"We should pray," she mumbled after a few minutes.

And so we did. I set her down on the floor and we went into my room to pray. We prayed for what seemed like forever, until I heard the doorbell ring, after which I had to get up knowing that I was going to be face to face with a police officer.

* * *

**Three Years Later**

They carried him out of his aparment in a black body bag and everyone in the apartment complex gathered around to watch. Hats came off and there were many sobs throughout the crowd. I was there and I removed my hat as his body was carried out, feeling tears running down my cheeks. That sweet old man that had once refused to take the rent money and had told me to buy Katsumi a doll instead. She stood beside be, crying quietly, holding said doll in her hand.

That same day, it was announced that the now-deceased landlord had left the apartment complex to his son to run. The son, it seemed, did not share his father's kind spirit. This was made obvious the very next day, when he left notes on everyone's door notifying us of the new cost of rent. A price far beyond what I could afford. As it turned out, my parents had had nothing in the bank and so we had been completely broke when the old man had let us move in and helped me earn money for my first rent payment. I was currently fourteen years old and had dropped out of school. This prevented me from getting a job and I mainly earned money by offering to clean my neighbors' apartments, cars, and by taking little odd jobs from the landlord himself and the surrounding business owners. This was barely enough to survive on. Sometimes I'd pay rent and be completely broke afterward. Already, I had started smoking cigarettes to keep the hunger away. Katsumi was only nine, too young to smoke. I would often go to our neighbors for help and they were more than happy to provide an egg or a bowl of rice for Katsumi. As always, I thanked them a thousand times and offered to run their errands at the store for free, which they often accepted.

But now none of that would be enough. I worked harder than ever and, in on the day that rent was due, I was devastated to discover that I only had half the amount needed to pay the rent. Dismayed, I went down to the new landlord's aparmtent and shyly knocked on his door. I gave him all of the money and apologized profusely. I explained my situation and said I promised to have the money by the end of the week. It was so expensive to live here now.

But the man shook his head. He threw the money back at me and I desperately grabbed it all to prevent it from flying everywhere.

"Keep your money. It's all or nothing, boy. I don't have time for bullshit. I want you to pack your stuff and be out of here by the end of the day," And he closed the door in my face.

I stood there, with crumpled bills in my fist, feeling a sense of hopelessness grow inside of me. It grew quickly and it was overwhelming. I kicked at the landlord's door repeatedly. "Hey!_ Hey!_ That's_ NOT FAIR!_" I shrieked.

He did not open the door or give any indication that he had heard. I kicked the door harder still and screamed like a wounded animal. I could feel my face grow hot and my jaw was clenched. Hot tears streamed down my face. I could not, would not, lose my apartment. I had a sister to feed and clothe. I needed a home! But nothing I did was enough to get a response from this cruel man. I finally had to accept the fact that Katsumi and I were now out on the street because this man obviously loved money enough to not care about throwing out two kids who desperately needed a home.

"_FUCK YOU!_" I screamed, kicking the door one last time. I took off running up the stairs to my apartment. Sadly, I realized we had no suitcases and would have to stick everything we owned in plastic bags.

The shame, the shame...

* * *

**Six Years Later**

I threw my cigarette into a puddle and turned left into an alley. I avoided stepping in puddles. It was dark and I couldn't tell if they were water or piss. The stench of trash and human waste was overwhelming. Someone was going through one of the trash cans: I could see their sillhouette in the darkness, could hear the tinkle of bottles and rustling of trash bags being moved aside. I approached one of the bigger trash cans, the kind that the machines come and empty out every once in a while, though it seemed that the machines always forgot this one was here. It was overflowing with trash.

This place was disgusting.

This place was home.

I went around the side of the trash can to where I knew the blanket was laid out along with piles of dirty clothing gathered from the trash, used as cushioning. Katsumi was sitting there, melting heroin on a spoon, her eyes fixed hungrily on the flame. I sat down next to her, ignoring what she was doing. I set down the bag of McDonald's. I had bought a twenty pack of chicken nuggets and large fries so that we would have plenty to eat. Or rather, so that I would have plenty to eat. Katsumi never really ate anymore unless I forced her to.

I took the food out as noisily as I could, trying to drown out the sounds of her tying that damn tourniquet around her arm, that snap of the latex band drove me crazy.

"I brought food," I said unnecessarily.

She grunted in reply and I deliberately kept my eyes on my food. I hated seeing her shoot up.

I ate a couple of nuggets and drank plenty of water from the plastic bottle I had bought at the dollar store and refilled a million times afterward. I looked over at Katsumi and saw her slumped over, her head resting on the brick wall that was the building that formed one of the "walls" of the alley. Her hair hung limply in her face, which was pale and sickly looking. She was already starting to drool a bit but did not seem to notice or care. A little bit of blood dribbled from the injection site. I took the needle from her hand and, rather than breaking it like I felt I should, I did what I could to squeeze out the mixture of blood and heroin left over in the syringe. I took out my cigarette lighter and held the needle over the flame for a bit, hoping this was enough to disinfect it. God knew how many times she had used this needle before and how many more she would use it again. I set it inside a jumbo box of matches that she kept her stash in and turned my attention to my food again. I still had a few nuggets left and so I closed the box. I grabbed the box of matches and put it inside the McDonad's box along with the bottle of water and the nugget box. Tomorrow morning I would force her to eat the remaining chicken nuggets before giving her the box with her stuff she needed "to live" inside it.

I set the bag under my bent knees and rested my head on the trash can and looked up at the stars, trying to count them the way I used to when I was a kid. I fell asleep counting.

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**Alright! :D This was kind of nice, kind of nice, yeah! I swear I got all into writing it, smoked like three cigarettes and downed two frappuccinos, I was so focused hahaha. Well R&R please? :)) Thank you!**


	23. An Alternate State Of Mind

**I'm so sorry this update took so long! Army paperwork, Army, Army, Army D: But it's here now and I'M SORRY it's not that great, this is more of a transition chapter, really. I'm already working on the next chapter! Soon shit's gonna go down! :D Haha...alright!**

**Enjoy ;)**

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The day of his birthday, Deidara and Shinji sat inside the building talking next to Katsumi, who seemed to be unable to make up her mind as to whether she wanted to be asleep or half-awake. Finally, after a good half hour of trying to whisper so as to not disturb her, they decided they should just go to the park and spend some time together before heading to Sasori's house. The fact that this was a suggestion on Shinji's part was a bit odd, but the blonde felt grateful for it. He felt he could not have met a better grown-up when he most needed one.

They both lit cigarettes on their way out of the building and headed out onto the ever-busy sidewalk.

The weather was pleasant enough, with a cloudless sky and a slight breeze. Deidara observed the people walking through the crowd, amused at the speed at which these people could so desperately move while him and Shinji walked along at what was pretty much a snail's pace towards the park.

It was then that he spotted a very tall someone walking the opposite way through the crowd. He was not in a hurry, but his stride alone suggested he was not taking his time, either.

"Dad..." Deidara froze in his tracks, recognizing at once that blonde hiar cut in a military style and those navy blue eyes, looking somewhere over the crowd. Shinji seemed not to have heard the blonde, but kept walking.

Thoughts racing, Deidara quickly hid in a small alley that ran between a small grocery store and a pharmacy. He took a long, deep, drag from his cigarette, trying to calm himself. He realized he was shaking only when he accidentally dropped what was left of his cigarette and so he walked further into the alley, forgetting the smoking butt on the floor, thinking only of getting away from the man that had caused him so much pain all of his life. What Nagato could be doing on this side of town, he could not imagine, nor was he sure that he wanted to know. All he knew was that under no circumstances would he allow himself to be seen. He had been free for too long to give it up now.

He looked back out and saw Nagato passing by. After a few minutes, the blonde ran back to the front of the alley and looked out. Nagato was nowhere to be found and so he ran out and bumped into Shinji, who was leaning against the front of the pharmacy, looking ever so slighlty cross.

"Where the fuck were ya, kid?"

Deidara hardly heard him, looking around wildly, practically spinning on the spot, trying to make sure Nagato was not around anymore. His heart was racing and he was sweating profusely.

"Hey...hey. I asked where you were, fuckin' weirdo," Shinji said, flicking the blonde repeatedly.

"M-My dad...my dad I just saw...he just passed by. I hid," Deidara found his tongue stumbling over the words he was trying so hard to say, not knowing how to effectively communicate to Shinji that they nedeed to get back to the building now, that they could not be out and about, not today, not while that murderer was out.

Shinji seemed to catch on to the panic in the little blonde's voice and so he deicided to heed the kid's words and they both quickly headed back to the building without hesitation.

Deidara practically ran inside, desperate to be out of view from the general public. He was still trembling in fear and clumsily lit a cigarette on his way upstairs.

"Well, that fuckin' sucks kid. So much for an awesome birthday," Shinji muttered as they reached the landing.

Katsumi looked up to see who the voices belonged to. Once the owners of the voices were identified she yawned and leaned against the wall once more, closing her eyes and immediately drfting off to sleep.

"Yeah, it's alright. As long as my dad doesn't come near me it's a good birthday," Deidara replied.

Shinji sat in the middle of the room, which was bathed in sunlight coming in from the windows. He looked over at the blonde, who was busy putting his cigarette out by stepping on it.

"Tell ya what," Shinji said, locating and grabbing his soda-bottle bong. "Lemme give you a pretty fuckin' awesome birthday..."

Deidara shrugged.

* * *

Deidara was high.

He blinked lazily and rubbed his face as hard as he could with the palms of his hands, as if somehow that would return the blonde to a sober state. He was suddenly aware that he had been rubbing his face for quite a long time now and burst out laughing. It was a great feeling, to laugh like that- without reason or restraint, and with a light and carefree feeling.

Deidara finally removed his hands from his face and looked at Shinji, who was laughing silently at the blonde and had gone very red in the face from doing so. He was really, really red, sort of like-

"Apples..." Deidara muttered, quickly realizing he had thought aloud. The realizatioin brought about another laughing fit because, really, how could anyone think half in their head and half out loud? That was ridiculous!

He was laughing so hard that he was out of breath and ever so slowly found himself leaning closer to the ground. The blonde finally lost his balance and fell on the floor.

"Fuck," he mumbled, laying there. "Ffffffff..." he giggled.

"You're fuckin'_ bloooown_," Shinji laughed, pointing at the blonde.

"Ah...hahaha...this is the best birthday ever, I swear!" Deidara half-yelled, feeling his lips move but hearing his voice come out about a full second later. His senses were incredibly distorted and he loved it.

"Well, I do aim to please," Shinji replied smiling crookedly.

At that moment, Katsumi woke up and started rummaging around in her bag for something. Shinji helped her and tossed out a needle, a spoon, and a little bag containing something Deidara could not see. Shinji handed her a water bottle and a lighter and Deidara watched, or rather tried, as he found that he had a tremendous case of short-term memory loss and kept forgetting what had just happened seconds earlier. He felt like he was concentrating too hard.

What he caught next was Katsumi injecting herself with some dark brown, almost mahogany colored liquid. She untied her tourniquet and proceeded to go limp. She seemed peaceful.

"Damn," Deidara muttered, giggling softly. "Give me some of that...looks relaxing...hahaha..."

Shinji eyed the blonde carefully. "You sure?"

"Pfft," Deidara nodded, eyes closed and smile wide. He was totally ready for that level of awesome. That, and his judgement had pretty much flown out the window.

Shinji shrugged. He proceeded to get stuff ready while Deidara leaned against the wall and yawned, looking out the window, pretty much spacing out for who-knows-how-long. Seemed like a long time and then, suddenly, he found Shinji by his side tying a tourniquet around his arm. He looked down blankly at it and, unable to come up with something to say, he simply looked out the window again.

"This might hurt, kid," Shinji mumbled. "I'm only giving you a bit, though...you're small. Don't need you fuckin' dyin' on me..."

"Fuck it," Deidara replied, but he was thinking,_ 'What might hurt?'_

And it did hurt, the needle. Only different. It hurt but it didn't hurt, as if it was happening to someone next to Deidara.

A sudden warmth crept up Deidara's arm and was quickly followed by an overall feeling of warmth and unimaginable pleasure. The blonde was dimly aware the he had let out a small giggle and that a wide, sloppy smile had painted itself on his face. He no longer had control of his body and he slid to the side, now aware that his eyes were closed. His face felt as if it had fallen asleep, but in a pleasant way. His arms and legs were lead, his head weighed a thousand pounds.

He felt nausea creep up on him and it must have shown in his face because he suddenly became aware that Shinji was helping him up and to the window, where the blonde proceeded to vomit a few times before collapsing into Shinji's arms in another whirlwind of euphoria. Everything was a blur, nothing was stable, it was all unreal and yet...it was all here, everything was here. What everything was, Deidara did not know. His thoughts were incoherent, a jumble of words, fragments of imagination, a puzzle with half the pieces missing. He opened his mouth to ask Shinji something that he forgot almost as soon as he thought of it and only jumbled sounds and slurred words exited the blonde's mouth.

"_Fuck..._" Deidara muttered, dragging out the "f" sound for about a good three seconds. He somehow managed to free himself from Shinji's arms and walk a few steps. Where he was going, he did not know. His brain could not plan that far ahead right now. All it was concerned with was taking those few wobbly steps forward. Deidara swayed and suddenly found himself on the floor. He rolled over and it was a long trip to the other side. Shinji crouched down beside him, his face swam in and out of focus. Deidara blinked, his lids were heavy and he could have probably fallen asleep right then and there.

"You're fucked up," Shinji informed him. "Trippin'...hahahaha..."

The words reached Deidara at a snail's pace and it took the blonde even longer to process them. By the time he had finished processing the meaning of what Shinji had said to him, he had fallen asleep.

* * *

**Like I said...shit's about to go down soon! I'm so excited! X3 Anyway R&R please!**


	24. Paperboy

**Well! Let me tell you guys why I haven't been on: was at Basic Training XD Now I've graduated and am at AIT and have a lot more freedom! Hopefully I'll be updating more :) Anyway, screw the intro, enjoy the story!**

* * *

It had now been two months since Deidara had left home.

The blonde walked down the street, a half-empty little milk jug from McDonald's in his hand. It was a bright Monday morning, the kind that is fresh and cool and with a slight breeze. Today he was on his third day of his job as a paperboy and was on his way to pick up the stack of newspapers and today's route.

He finished the last of his milk and tossed the empty jug in a nearby trash can before entering Jin's place. Jin was an older guy, about the same age as Shinji. He was short and stocky, with dark hair and thick glasses. He ran a little shop that sold pretty much everything and made a little extra money by delivering newspapers.

"Dei, my boy!" that loud, booming voice. Deidara loved it.

"'Sup!" Deidara half-yelled happily. His tummy was full and the weather was great. Why wouldn't he be happy?

"Good breakfast?" Shin asked, coming around the counter with a paper that Deidara knew was today's route. He could see that his stack of newspapers was already on the counter, waiting to be picked up. He knew the job would be made much easier had he had a bike, but he didn't mind walking.

"Hell yeah! McDonald's," Deidara replied, patting his stomach. Jin laughed in his booming voice and handed the paper Deidara then went to get the stack of newspapers.

"Route's a bit different today, kiddo. Hope you'll be alright," Shin called over his shoulder as he picked up the stack from the counter.

Deidara read over the list and, although he had never been to some of the addresses, he had always been decent at finding his way around town and so he just nodded, signaling that he would be okay.

"Alright," Jin handed the stack to Deidara, who held it by the rope it was tied with. "Got everything? Let's see. Papers, route, lunch money, cigs?"

Deidara nodded at the mention of each item.

"Alright, blondie. Catch ya later!"

"See ya, Jin!"

And he was out the door.

* * *

Deidara lit a new cigarette and looked at the route paper, searching for the destination of the last two newspapesr. It was now four-thirty in the afternoon and the weather was still pleasant enough for Deidara not to have minded it taking this long. He decided that the street he was heading to was not too far and, upon venturing on for a few more minutes, he found this to be correct.

He came face to face with a familiar-looking apartment complex but could not put his finger on what it was that made it familiar to him. He decided he had probably seen it while making his rounds some previous day and left it at that.

One of the newspapers needed to be delivered to apartment 6B and so he happily hopped up the steps and rang the doorbell of 6B. The door was answered by a motherly looking woman holding a steaming cup. She looked down at the scrawny, slightly dirty twelve year old boy that stood before her, holding out the newspaper she had been expecting and smoking a cigarette like it was nothing. She was as shocked as he was small and, although she really wanted to say something, she just decided against it. He probably had no parents and would no doubt be of the rebellious sort. She thanked him for the paper and paid him, closing the door quietly.

Deidara counted the money then stuffed it in his pocket and made his way up again to apartment 8C.

He rang the doorbell and hummed to himself while waiting for the door to be answered. After a few minutes, there was no response and he was becoming annoyed. He took a long drag on his cigarette and rang the doorbell twice.

"I'm comin', I'm comin! Ugh...please get the door!"

"Yes, grandma!"

The sound of feet running on tile. Those voices. Familiar.

And the door swung open to reveal a boy of about twelve with unruly flaming red hair and large brown eyes. He held a bag of chips in one hand, his face had crumbs all over it, as did his shirt.

Deidara, who was holding his cigarette and had been about to take a drag, held it there up to his mouth and just stared in shock and amazement at the boy before him. The boy stared back, looking, if possible, even more shocked.

"Who is it, Sasori?!" came the voice from inside.

Neither of the boys replied, they simply stared. Deidara felt as if it was not real, he felt like he was in a dream of some sort and refused to believe that he was standing before his best friend.

Having grown impatient, old Chiyo made her way to the door. She poked her head out and looked down to find Deidara at her doorstep.

She gasped.

And this prompted a reaction from the boys, finally. They jumped up, screaming each others' names. They hugged each other and spun around until they were dizzy and had to stop. And all the while Chiyo just stared in amazement.

"Where have you _been?"_ both Chiyo and Sasori blurted.

Deidara laughed. It felt good to laugh with his best friend. "It's a long story! But I'm not goin' back!"

* * *

**Shoooorrrrtt chapter! And I already have plans for the next one :D I really hate to make it this short. But it just seemed perfect. Also, I have to go to chow in like 10 minutes :/ So anyway, R&R please? Thank you :)**


	25. It Is What It Is

**Ugh. Got held up by mail call and other such bullshit! **

**By the way, something I forgot to do in the previous chapter is thank you all for your reviews and support :) Love you all very much, it makes me happy to see that after like...idk maybe 5 years, this story is still getting attention! Please bear with me as the uploads are not at ALL regular...that's just what happens when you're in the Army. Unpredictable schedule! **

**It kind of occurred to me that, for those of you that have been following this story (and any other stories of mine) from the beginning, you've all kind of...seen (well not literally seen but you know what I mean) me grow up :) I started this story when I was 14. I'm now 18 :D**

**Anyway..love you guys, love this story. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chiyo POV**

I watched as the boys hugged each other, screaming incoherently- cries of joy. I felt tears sting my eyes at the scene. I had always been fond of Deidara.

But was this scrawny, dirty little boy the same timid child that had come over to play time and time again, hiding bruises behind long sleeves, soft-spoken and polite? He looked different.

I stared at him, standing on the landing of the stairs, talking loudly and excitedly with my grandson. He looked older somehow. His hair was unkept and dirty, now growing past his shoulders. He didn't have that same air of innocence that he had once had, and the sparkle that gave life to his eyes was now gone. His smiles seemed forced at times, and he looked exhausted- I noticed dark shadows under his eyes.

I saw him flick something off the balcony, something trailing smoke. A cigarette? Jesus! I was sure he was Sasori's age and here was, smoking! I decided to say nothing until later, until he and I could have some time alone to talk. I missed our talks.

"Deidara!" I cried, and crouched down . I finaly gave into my temptation to hug him for a very long time. I held him, and could smell smoke on him, confirming my suspicion. Still, I said nothing.

"Chiyo-san!" he cried.

"Oh, but Deidara! You've been gone for forever! We were told you moved to a different town with some relatives! But we knew it wasn't true, you would have said something...and you've never mentioned any relatives," I said sadly. "You ran away from home, didn't you?"

I let him go and stayed crouched at his level, holding him at arm's length by the shoulders and looking at him, concerned.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, lowering his head slightly. "I ain't goin' back though!"

I was aware that he now carried himself differently. He had a rather defiant pose about him.

I ignored his reply. "Well, Deidara why don't you join us inside? You can even spend the night!" I stood up and away from the door so as to let him in.

His face fell. "Oh, Chiyo-san...I'm only just getting off work, I still have to go turn in my earnings! I can't..."

_Work? _I thought to myself. _He's only twelve..._

But I smiled. "Tell you what," I said. "You go do that and then come on back. We'll be waiting with dinner."

The little blonde positively beamed. "Yes, ma'am! I've just got to go ask Shinji for permission afterwards, but I know he'll say yes!"

I barely had time to wonder who Shinji was, as he was quick to say goodbye and then was off.

* * *

That evening, I made Deidara's favorite meal (spaghetti) and I watched him work his way through three giant helpings of it, getting spaghetti sauce everywhere and even some noodles in his hair. It didn't matter that he ended up looking like he dipped his face in a pot of the stuff, what mattered to me was that he was well fed and looked happy. I had him take a shower with plenty of bubble bath, though at first I hesitated to suggest it. At the age of twelve, Sasori no longer wanted anything to do with bubble bath, but Deidara was positively elated at the mention of it. It made me sad.

He was now clean and clothed in some of Sasori's clothes while his own clothes were being washed.

It was now eleven o'clock and I was busy putting the last of the dishes away, humming softly to myself. I heard the sound of small feet on the carpet and turned around. I was greeted by a tangled mess of blonde hair and sleepy eyes.

"Can't sleep," he mumbled, huffing.

I put the last plate away and closed the cabinet with a sharp snap. "Why not, hon?"

Deidara shrugged. He looked tiny in the clothes Sasori had lent him. There had been a time when Sasori had been the little scrawny one, and that was no longer the case. Sasori's clothes were at least two sizes too big. Deidara was obviously not being fed at regular intervals- he had not been this thin the last time I had seen him.

I patted a stool behind the counter, signaling for him to sit down, which he did. I sat down opposite him and watched him as he brushed his hair out of his face with his hands. It really struck me how he held himself differently- defensively, almost. And, almost at once, I noticed the pattern of bruises running up his arms.

I hadn't noticed them before because he had been so dirty, it just looked like dirt. After the bath, he had gone straight to bed, looking horribly exhausted. But now I could see the rainbow of black, blue, and crimson that littered his arms. Even looking at them made my own arms hurt.

"Deidara, what happened?!" I fought to keep my voice at a reasonable level.

Deidara looked down at his arms with a slight air of surprise and shrugged. "The high school voice. They take my things sometimes."

He said this so matter-of-a-factly, that I was inclined to believe this was a constant ocurrence.

I bit back words of reprimand. Reprimand for what, I did not know. Not fighting back? No, that was stupid. He was twelve, they were probably in their late teens. He was the size of a ten year old, I didn't doubt they were fully grown.

I sighed and grabbed the mug of coffee that I had left at the edge of the counter. The dark brown liquid inside was lukewarm at best, but I still drank it. It gave my mouth something to do other than ask Deidara questions he might not want to answer. I knew I had to talk to him, to find out everything, anything, but I did not know how and I was beginning to suspect that he knew this. I think we might have both known I was not the right person to be trying to talk to, but I couldn't help myself. I set the mug down with a light thunk.

"Deidara, what have you been up to..? You've been gone for a really long time. Who have you been living with? And where?" I had to force myself to say this, because I did not know how else to get on the subject, but I knew I had to.

Deidara hesitated. He looked up at me with those eyes, those tired eyes. "Just trying to lay low. I got found by Shinji and his sister, Katsumi. We're staying...in that abandoned building by the old pharmacy. It's quiet."

I looked at him closely and could not identify any signs of wanting to open up further than that. He seemed distant, and emotionally exhausted.

In the harsh yellow light that the kitchen lights threw upon us, the dark shadows under his eyes seemed more pronounced and drained his skin of all color, makiing him look ill. I could see his bottom lip was slightly fat and there was a half-healed cut running down the middle of it. A yellowish bruise, hardly visible, was painted upon his cheekbone. Someone had really let him have it.

"Deidara-"

"I think I'm feeling tired again, Chiyo-san. Thank you for sitting with me."

And with that, he hopped off the stool and was off to bed.

* * *

The next day, after a great breakfast consisting of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon, Deidara was off to work for the day and Sasori was off to school. During breakfast, I had mentioned that Shinji and his sister might want to take the apartment next door, as it was no longer being rented out as a result of a fire that had taken place in it the year before. I had gone downstairs while the boys were eating breakfast and had gotten the approval of the landlord, who had agreed on the condition that Shnji do the occasional odd job for him, which Deidara assured me Shinji would be glad to do.

It was now threee o'clock. Deidara had apparently gone and given Shinji directions because he and his sister had finished moving their pitiful amount of posessions into the apartment next door. Not five minutes ago Shinji had knocked on my door and had thanked me profusely for the opportunity, then had set off downstairs to ask the landlord whether he needed anything done. No sign of his sister, who looked sicker than anyone I had ever seen in my life.

I jumped, startled, as someone banged wildly on the door. Annoyed, I set down my tea and went to the door to find Sasori dancing around in front of it.

"Grandmaaaaa, open the doooooor!" he cried. "Ahhh, I need to peeee!"

Holding back my laughter, I opened the door and watched as he threw his backpack onto the couch and took off running into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

"Watch the door!" I warned him. I chuckled quietly and picked up his backpack, dropping it off in his room, while I went back to my cup of tea and dinner, which was simmering on the stove.

I stirred the pot on the stove as Sasori came out of the bathroom, poking his head into the kitchen, sniffing and licking his lips. I saw him retreat to his room, no doubt positively starving by now.

As it had been decided, Deidara would come next door to eat his meals with us. Shinji and his sister were welcome as well, but Shinji had insisted on them getting their own, he had said something about already taking too much. To each his own, I decided.

Over the tall counter, I could see the top of a blonde head walk past.

"Home early, hon?"

Nothing.

I heard the bathroom door close and put it off to him not hearing me over the loud sizzling noise coming from one of the pans on the stove. Still, I felt worried.

A few minutes laters I called the boys for dinner. Sasori pretty much tore the place apart in a crazed attempt to get to the table and was already stuffing his face when Deidara practically dragged himself into the room. He hopped up onto his place at the table without much enthusiasm- none at all, actually. he kept his head down as he ate slowly.

"You alright?" I asked, leaning forward.

That's when I saw it. His right eye was swollen and bruised and painful-looking. "What happened to your face?!" I blurted out, clapping a hand over my mouth, shocked.

Deidara looked up, and I saw him look, not at me, but through me. His eyes were glassy and his stare empty. He shrugged and turned back to his food, which was nearly gone by now.

Even Sasori had stopped eating and was looking from Deidara to me with undisguised curiosity.

Deidara hopped off his stool and did his little trademark bow. "Thank you, Chiyo-san, that was really delicious. I've got to go help Shinji with the apartment now."

He and Sasori exchanged quick goodbyes and he hugged me before he went next door. I sat there, feeling confused.

"Sasori-kun," I murmured, taking a large gulp of water.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied.

"After your shower, you should go over there. Spend some time with him. Try to get him to tell you what happened, because I think you can tell he's in a very dark place right now. That's not good for him," I was voicing my fears aloud, the ultimate taboo in my book. I felt that, as long as I didn't voice it, it was not real. But Deidara really had me worried.

Sasori smiled. "Of course, grandma. I think he needs a friend. Well, I mean, he has me, but he needs me to be there for him."

* * *

When Deidara walked into the apartment, it was dark.

He walked past the master bedroom and saw that Shinji and Katsumi were sleeping in the beds provided by the landlord. They were old and used, but that didn't matter. Deidara smiled and wondered how long it had been since the two siblings had slept in a bed. They looked comfortable.

Deidara found the other bedroom and was pleased to see that Shinji had moved all of the blonde's things in there for him. There was a small bed, no doubt also provided by the landlord. He sat on it. It sagged under his weight, the broken springs offering no support.

He set about unpacking his few posessions, placing them in the drawers and closet that had been left behind by the previous owners. Only the kitchen had been damaged by the fire, and so these things were still good. They hardly looked used.

Deidara found the pipe Shinji had given him and set about breaking up a little nug of weed, the leftovers from a dime bag that Shinji had bought. It felt good to have a full tummy, but his face was aching.

_(should've ran) _

He packed the bowl with his mind elsewhere, thinking back to that afternoon, and how the highschool boys had ambushed him yet again, this time taking his brand new pack of cigarettes. He silently hoped they got hit by a car. The memory of a fist colliding with his face made him wince. He found it easy to remember the impact making his nose bleed as well as his eye swell and the feeling of blood dripping down his face in the hot midday sun, that coppery smell, it almost made him sick.

With his mouth on the mouthpiece, he lit the lighter and held the flame up to the bowl, conscious that the scrunching motion he was making with his face hurt his eye, but he didn't really care.

He inhaled. The contents of the bowl glowed a fierce orange, he felt hot smoke travel into his lungs.

It was going to be alright.

* * *

**YES I'm still insired enough for the next package c: R&R? Hehe, thank you guys. **


	26. Boy Next Door

**Oh god, I got sucked into Creepypasta for like an hour before continuing to write DX Anyway, I'm short on time, so I still have not been able to list everyone who has reviewed, but just know that I THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND DEEPLY APPRECIATE IT! :)**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

_He walked down the street, looking down, skipping over cracks, hopping over pebbles. The hot sun burned the back of his neck and he did not care. He had gotten done with work early today and had just turned in his money; he would be headed back to the apartment for dinner soon._

_A foot, stuck out slyly, brought him crashing down onto his knees. The hard pavement scraped them, and he made a soft, "Oof!" sound as he hit the ground. Laughter._

_He looked up, already knowing what he would find- the faces of those high school boys who had made it a habit to follow him and take his things. He knew they could see the helplessness in his eyes, and he scrambled to his feet, backing away as he did so._

_"What do you have for us today, huh?" the tallest of the group grunted, advancing on Deidara. He stopped and stared down menacingly at the blonde, who continued to slowly back away._

_"I don't got nothin' for you!" Deidara said loudly, looking around and, of course, he had walked right into the section of town that was all old abandoned buildings. It was a shortcut he liked. One he was now realizing he would never use again if he could help it._

_But as he said it, he saw that his newly bought pack of cigarettes had fallen out of his pocket when he had tripped. He looked up as one of the boys lunged for it, and he had no chance._

_A size ten boot came crashing down on Deidara's hand. The blonde yelped and tried to pull his hand back, but it was trapped under the boot. He saw a hand snatch up the pack of cigarettes._

_"Hey! That's mine, I bought those!" Deidara yelled angrily. "Give 'em back!"_

_"Shut UP," he owner of the boot said, annoyed. There was suddenly pressure on Deidara's hand and he gasped, unable to move from the pain._

_"Hey, you got good taste. Marlboro," a voice from above said, laughing. _

_The boot released its pressure on Deidara's hand, and the blonde snatched it away, rubbing it with his other hand. It looked bright red but not likely to bruise or anything of the sort. It was throbbing painfully._

_The boys turned to walk away and Deidara had had enough. He picked up a nearby rock and threw it. __His eyes followed it as it flew through the air and struck one of the boys in the back. He turned, looking furious._

_He hardly had enough time to think, "Ah, shit." when a fist had already connected with his face. He hadn't even seen it coming, but sure as hell felt the blinding pain that overcame him. He cradled the spot where he had been hit and stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet and falling onto the hot concrete._

_A rain of blows fell upon the blonde and he could do nothing but to lay there, in silence, and wait for it to be over. He felt pops here and there and a couple of nasty-sounding cracks. By the time it was over and the boys had run away cackling, Deidara's whole body was numb. _

_He staggered to his feet, dusted himself off, and set off towards home._

* * *

**Sasori POV**

"Going next door, Grandma!"

I slammed the door and positively sprinted the five feet next door to Deidara's apartment. I knocked because the doorbell was busted, and waited.

A good two or three minutes passed and I heard absolutely nothing, so I knocked again, louder this time.

I heard somebody scrambling around inside, it sounded like they were gathering things up and throwing them inside something. Suddenly, the screen door swung open.

I found myself staring into dull blue eyes, looking heavy with sleep, bloodshot and glassy. He sighed loudly and with what seemed like tremendous effort, looked up at me. I wondered if I'd woken him.

"Aw, were you asleep?" I asked, standing on my tip toes to try to get a look around inside his apartment. All of the lights were off, I couldn't see a thing.

Deidara stared at me for a couple of seconds and then, slowly, opened his mouth. "Nah...I was...I was unpacking."

There was this weird smell coming from inside the apartment and from Deidara himself. I had never smelled it before, it was strange, and I decided it must be from the apartment being closed off for so long.

"C'mon," Deidara walked inside and I followed, closing the door behind me.

He led me to his room, where he had indeed been unpacking.

I looked around the room, it was a sad sight. It was dark, despite having a lamp. It seemed Deidara had not taken the time to turn it on. I could see by now, and noticed that his few posessions were strewn around the room. A small backpack lay on the floor, its contents everywhere. Clothes and old candy wrappers and odd things like lighters, a roll of tin foil, and what looked like a razor blade poking out from beneath a pair of pants. In the corner of the room was what looked like the things that cartoon characters smoked out of, but made out of tin foil. Like a pipe or something. The mixture of weird things in Deidara's room made me uneasy. I didn't know what they meant, or what to think.

I heard rustling behind me and I turned to see Deidara gathering up trash and tossing it in a large trashbag that was sitting in a corner. He reached for a crumpled up wrapper and I saw in the dim light of the room something that made my stomach turn.

Slashes. Going every which way up his arm. How had Chiyo-san and I not seen them before? And then it hit me- we had been distracted by the bruises on the other sides of his arms that we'd never even noticed the undersides. And there they were, clear as day. They looked deep. And recent.

I drew in a sharp intake of breath, and Deidara looked up from the pile of clothes he had just picked up. "You good?" he asked slowly.

"I should ask you that! What happened to your arms?" I couldn't think of a better way to ask, a more "sensitive" way. I had to be blunt. I felt myself getting mad.

And he actually looked down at the slashes on his arm and shrugged. He threw the clothes into a pile by the door. "I dunno."

That was the last straw. I was done with him being so secretive, it wasn't fair.

"Will you just tell me what's been going on?! You...you disappear for like...forever and you come back out of nowehere and you're all weird! Like...what the hell, why aren't you going to school? And why did you leave, where have you _been_? Dammit, Deidara!"

He didn't look at me, he just stood there nudging at the floor with his foot, hands in his pockets, face obscured by a long curtain of blonde hair. He shrugged. "I dunno."

I flailed my arms wildly, communicating my exasperation. "Ugh! What the heck?-"

"I don't know okay?" and I heard his voice crack. I looked up and saw that he was staring right at me with that same dead expression he'd had since I had come over. "I just left. Just left. And...and...now I'm here. And I don't know, everything just...Sasori, I don't know how shit got this way."

I winced when I heard him cuss, it wasn't something I was used to. That was stuff that grownups said. It bothered me that he used words like that so easily.

I stared at him, expecting more, but he said nothing else, and I did not know what to say back. Finally, he huffed and just sat on the floor, rubbing his face. I sat next to him and stared at a wall, waiting. Waiting for anything.

He dropped his hands and glanced at me for a second and I felt my heart leap, both out of realization and some feeling that I could not identify. I ignored it for now.

"You're on drugs," I stated, peering into his eyes. I had thought he looked sleepy before, but, now that I thought about it, the pipe thing in his room and his behavior disproved that.

Deidara rolled his eyes. "I'm a little high...so what?"

I scoffed, I didn't know what to say or how to react. I backed away and sat there with my mouth hanging open like an idiot. "You...you...just a little...Deidara! Drugs?!"

He smiled. It was an odd, sloppy smile. "Calm down." he muttered.

"I can't calm down if...like, you're doing drugs! They're totally bad for you!"

He rolled his eyes. I'd had enough.

I don't think he really expected it and, to be perfectly honest, neither did I. Neither of us knew it was going to happen, but next thing we knew, I had thrown myself at him, punching every inch of him that I could reach. At first he yelped in pain and then...and then...he just took it. He winced slightly as my fists struck him but he didn't fight back. I stopped, fists in the air, ready. I let them drop and stared at him.

I had lost my temper with him and had hit him. Why hadn't he hit me back?

When he realized I had stopped, he straightened up and looked back at me with that same dead look. I didn't know what to do.

And then, without warning, I was sent stumbling back, hot pain shooting through my face. He had hit me back.

I fell onto the floor, landing on my butt, and felt something hot drip off my chin. I looked down as drops of blood fell from my face and splashed onto the floor. My head snapped up to look at my best friend, who had just punched me in the face. I couldn't believe it. He was still staring at me with that faraway look.

"The fuck is all that noise?!" came a voice from the next room, and I heard someone get out of bed. "What the fuck you doin' in there, kid?"

"Dropped something!" Deidara replied automatically. No reply.

I felt like I should go, but something kept me there. Deidara turned back to me.

He tilted his head and looked down at me. "You sleeping over?"

I couldn't believe he was asking me that after busting my lip. I sat there with my blood dripping down my chin, my lip throbbing, and the heat in my face rising. Through it all, though, I knew I shouldn't leave him alone, even though I wanted nothing more than to kick his fat head.

"Sure," I replied. "Why not?"

* * *

**Wow, I have been so busy...I have to take the NREMT in 11 days, so I tried to find time to type this out for you guys and it took weeks! But here it is, I'm sorry it took so long! Thank you for all your support! R&R? :) -Jas **


	27. Insanity In The Form of Powder

**Oh goodness! It's the weekend- YES! My homework is aaaall done, so I have a buttload of time today! Finally, I have time to go down the reviews and get you guys' names!**

**So, I want to thank:**

**DeidarasLoverCheeze **

**JuneSea **

**xXSarcasticAngelXx **

**nyanonomous **

**Element Life **

**Capopo 468 **

**Yumaiko **

**Hannah **

**Krislove4**

**I really appreciate your reviews! They keep me going :)**

**And, finally, a BIG THANK YOU to:**

**Miss Ventriloquist (formerly known as ToboeDeidaraLover)**

**You've been with me since the very beginning! I thank you so much for being a loyal fan and for all your kind words! Also, what do you mean by revamping Akatsuki High :O**

**Anyway...ENJOY!**

* * *

**Shinji's POV**

It never really occurred to me that I had never before woken up early in my entire life. Yet, here I was, at Jin's place at the ass crack of dawn and I really didn't think much of it. There never really was any reason to be here, not really.

Except for the meth.

I thought about this as I felt the lingering burn in my nostrils, and I looked at the counter, on which the remains of fine powder remained. I sniffed a couple of times, trying to make the burning go away. It was better to smoke the stuff, I'd heard, but I knew better. I'd seen what it did to your teeth. I'd sooner deal with the nosebleeds than rotted teeth.

With this thought I became aware of the steady dripping of something hot from my nose. I put my hand to it. Blood.

"Wipe your face, you look a right mess," Jin's voice sounded too close, he might as well have been speaking directly into my ear. He was ten feet away.

I felt the dishrag hit me and used it to wipe my face, no doubt smearing blood everywhere. I heard Jin chuckle.

"Asshole..." I mumbled.

I threw the dishrag onto the counter and suddenly I could feel a hot rush of adrenaline hit my body as if I had been doused in boiling water. I took a deep breath, feeling my body shudder and I had to admit that I liked it. I _loved _it. I hadn't realized that I had been holding my arms, digging my nails into my skin. I let go and saw the little crescent indents that my nails had left behind Some were bleeding. I remembered that I had a habit of locking my jaw, and so I forced my mouth open, the soreness in my jaw already beginning to set in.

"Goddamit, Shinji, pay attention!" his voice started out quiet and rose in a sharp crescendo that sent a chill down my spine. My head snapped in his direction. I surpressed the sudden urge to laugh widly.

"Fuck, man, the hell was that?" My head jerked to the left ever so slightly. I was starting to tweak.

"I'm fuckin' talking to you, dipshit, and you're over here looking around like you ain't never been to this place. Get your shit together, you ain't that high yet," Loud, like a motherfucking explosion in my ear with every syllable. I cringed.

"What, dude, what?! What do you _want_?" I complained, feeling another shudder run through my body and balled up my fists. I was talking too fast.

Jin sighed. "Nothing, nevermind."

I growled, expressing my displeasure and frustration, then threw my arms up, sighing. Then, I laughed and hugged myself, feeling my nails dig into my skin again.

I fucking loved this.

* * *

**Sasori POV**

I awoke, suddenly aware that I was not in my own bed. The slow and steady radiating pain in my face, however, brought me back to the realization that I had spent the night at Deidara's house and I was at ease once more. I went to get out of bed and then I realized that there was something over my legs, something heavy. I looked down and saw a mess of tangled blonde hair resting on my legs.

Deidara's scrawny arms and legs were drawn up in a fetal position, and I was almost confused. I had not felt him get into the bed with me and so I assumed that I had been dead asleep when he had decided to go to bed.

Carefully, I slipped my legs out from under his frail little body and proceeded to retreive my shoes from under the bed. As I put them on, I saw Deidara's body stir and he looked up at me.

I saw the blood and my heart skipped a beat.

"Deidara, your nose!" I half-yelled, putting a hand to my own nose.

He looked confused for a second and then went to wipe his nose on the back of his hand. Blood smeared onto it and he looked at it without a trace of concern. "Eh, yeah...that happens..."

"That happens?" I tried to hide my skepticism without success and he shrugged, dismissing my concern.

I shook my head and began to tie my shoes.

* * *

**Normal POV**

By mid afternoon, Sasori had left with his grandmother to the other side of town to visit some cousins and so the blonde was left alone in his apartment with Katsumi, who was passed out on her bed. The blonde dug a cereal box out of one of the cupboards and sat at the kitchen table eating handfuls of Cheerios.

It took him a while to realize that the distant nosie in the background was actually Katsumi crying quietly in the next room. He turned and saw that the front door was wide open and so he hopped off the kitchen chair, abandoning his Cheerios and walked past the open front door and into the room that Katsumi and Shinji shared.

And there was Shinji, with his hair tied back into a loose ponytail, a few strands were hanging in front of his face, dangling before those usually calm gray eyes that now held such coldness. He stood holding Katsumi by the arm and, even from the doorway, Deidara could see that her face was bruised, a rainbow of bruises splashed across her face like camo paint.

"Shinji...Shinji what's w-wrong...wh-aah!" He slapped her across the face with his free hand, hard and let her go. She crumpled to the floor, holding her face in her hands and slowly backed away. Her eyes, so similar to her brother's were alive with fear.

Shinji was breathing hard, his body going into odd spasms here and there and Deidara knew that he was on something crazy.

"Aha..." and this erupted into a high-pitched, crazed laughter that was too loud and drug out. He sighed and grabbed at his hair, pulling out more strands and then he sank to his knees in a fit of giggles and growls.

"Shinji-san?" Deidara's voice broke through the madness and Shinji whirled around.

"The fuck you doing in here?!" his voice was cracked and distant, as if he had a sore throat. His eyes darted all around the room and searched Deidara up and down.

The blonde took a step back, unsure of what to do. "I, uh...Katsumi-san hasn't done anything wrong...are you...okay?"

Shinji took a second to lower his hands onto the ground and then sighed as he sat down, proceeding to roll onto his side, where he lay grabbing at himself in a weird hug and then rocked back and forth. The noises he let out alternated between sobs and laughter and fragments of sentences that Deidara could not make out.

Katsumi stood up and ran around Shinji and to his side. "Shinshin! What's wrong?!"

She had no sooner finished speaking than his hand thrust out and clamped around her throat and his face had transformed into one that was unrecognizable, one filled with hate and he obviously was not aware of who he had in front of him at the moment. Her small hands grabbed his in an attempt to free herself. Without thinking, Deidara sprang forward and punched Shinji straight in the face.

There was no blood, no howl of pain, nothing. Katsumi was released at once, however, and then there hung around a deafening silence.

Katsumi struggled to her feet and ran out of the room, coughing and sputtering along the way. Deidara watched her go and then turned around to find that Shinji had gotten to his feet.

Under normal circumstances, Deidara was not afraid of Shinji.

Today he found himself looking up into the cold gray eyes of a man who stood six-foot-two that wore an expression the blonde had only ever seen Nagato wear. His nose was very red, his eyes glazed over, his breathing harsh and fast. He was suddenly very conscious that he was an underweight twelve-year-old boy with nothing between him and Shinji.

Shinji raised his fist.

Deidara ran.

* * *

**Working, working, workiiiiiing! D; I'm almost graduated from AIT, been busy testing like crazy. I leave to the field for 12 days next week. I leave to Korea soon -.- But I'll do my best to keep writing. I have a friend who will soon post this reeeally good story on FFN, she's a great writer. I'll get her info as soon as it goes up and let you guys know :D Anyway, R&R please, always appreciated.**


	28. Madhouse

**Before I say anything, I'd like to announce that my friend Ramos is now on FFN under the name FrontlineTrifecta with her story Slow Burn that I had the privilege of Beta reading! So go check it out, you won't regret it!**

**Alright! Moving on...FINALLY I AM UPLOADING. It's a really short chapter. So I apologize about that. But, anyway, enjoy.**

* * *

The sound of the apartment door slamming shut rang in Deidara's ears as he made it outside, tripping over his own feet. His arms spun in a windmill motion and he steadied himself as he sprung forward again, wanting nothing more than to be away from Shinji. He heard the distant sounds of Katsumi on the stairs, no doubt headed to the farthest place her feet would carry her to. As he made a move for the stairs, a hand caught him around the waist and it didn't take more than a second to realize that it was Shinji who had caught him.

_(im fucked)_

He kicked and flailed around and found that he was unable to get away. The feeling of helplessness began to set in, displacing the blood in his body and replacing it with the fear that poisoned him. He saw flashes of his childhood before his eyes, saw Nagato chase him and saw those massive fists moving towards his face, felt the dull pain of bruises long since healed.

**Shinji's POV**

I caught him as he headed for the stairs, caught him around the waist and picked him up like it was nothing. I didn't even know what I was mad about anymore

_(but goddammit im pissed)_

but the kid was making it worse. He thrashed around like a fucking pig and he might as well have been one because I felt like putting him through the slaughterhouse. All this goddamn drama I had to come back to, and here I was disregarding the idea to stay at Jin's.

I wrenched open the apartment door and threw Deidara inside. He landed on his side and sprang up like a Slinky and then he was off, looking for a way out. I saw him trip over fallen chairs repeatedly and laughed. Laughed too loud and it hurt my ears

_(wish i could turn sound off)_

so I stopped and followed him instead. I ran my hand along the walls of the apartment as I slowly walked down the hallway. The floor itself seemed to tilt and I dug my nails into the wall, feeling the paint chip off and fly everywhere, getting under my nails and all over the floor. I liked the grating sound the wall made, it gave me goosebumps and I ground my teeth and breathed in deep, feeling the vibration in my hand caused by my nails on the wall.

"Dei..._dara_!" I yelled, my voice cracking and the high pitch of my voice made me wince. I hated it.

I found that the feeling in my hand was becoming unpleasant and I lowered my hand, letting it flop back down to my side. I looked back at the streaks of blood I had left on the wall and felt my broken fingernails sticky with blood. I could smell that sick iron scent and it made me dizzy, my stomach churned, and I tried to wipe it on my pants but found that I could still smell it just the same. Belatedly, I felt something in my hand that might have been pain, but I knew I wouldn't be able to feel the pain itself. I was too far gone.

Lost in my thoughts, I came back to reality (or my warped perception of it, rather) and found myself in Deidara's room. The kid himself cowered in the corner, unprotected.

I walked over to him and crouched down in front of me. He tried to back away, his back sliding up the wall and he kept his eyes on me. I could see them behind the hair that had fallen before them, big and blue and scared. Those fucking eyes, the way they stared, it kind of made me sick. I gritted my teeth in displeasure and this triggered him hiding behind his hands.

_(like a motherfucking animal)_

I slapped his hands out of the way and grabbed his bangs in my fist, pulling his head up his eyes met mine. He sat there, breathing very fast, and I just wanted to get him away from me. The very sight of it all...I just wanted to get away. I released him, stood up, and looked back down at him where he was sitting still looking up at me and I was suddenly very aware of being six-foot-two. I felt too tall. I sat down.

I felt my fingers twitch and my shoulder muscles as well. My body was uncooperative with my efforts to make it stop and so I gave up and sat there, breathing like a mad animal, twitching and trying to rock back and forth, hoping to calm myself before the wave of euphoria to come crashed over me again. I was afraid, I was always afraid but I kept coming back and though it didn't make sense, I didn't need for it to, I just needed it to happen so badly and so here I was waiting and it was excruciating.

"Shut up!" and the words were out of my mouth before I realized it. I was unaware that Deidara had been talking, or that I had been listening. My mind had gone beyond my senses and left them far behind, taking with it only fragments of their feedback and spitting it all back out at me in a jagged puzzle that I couldn't solve. The pieces didn't fit, some were missing. I couldn't get my thoughts together soon enough before others entered my head and it was just thoughts after thoughts after thoughts of craziness and I just wanted it to stop or maybe just to continue on a little longer because the feeling was coming back, the feeling I liked and I was so anxious to feel it again.

Nothing was making sense and I felt myself losing my grip on this warped reality I was desperately clinging to.

* * *

How many times before had Deidara done this?

He stood over the bathroom sink, with his head inside the bowl, letting the water run. He watched the pink-streaked water go into the drain, smelled the coppery scent of blood and felt more of it dripping from his mouth. As he straightened up he grabbed a towel and attacked his soaked hair with it then leaned forward to spit fresh blood into the running water. He watched it drain away.

It wasn't too bad, he decided. A split lip and not much else and it had only happened when he had attempted to shake Shinji out of his weird state of mind.

He spat more blood out and turned off the water once all the blood had been washed away.

With that done, Deidara took his time walking throughout the apartment, fixing the upended chairs and furniture, sweeping up the remains of what had been Deidara's breakfast before he had encountered Shinji and Katsumi. He replaced the box of Cheerios inside the pantry and then sat down at the kitchen table with his head on the glass, wishing he could go see Sasori but knowing full well that the redhead was not home.

Regardless, he hopped off his chair and left the apartment, this time looking behind him as he approached the stairs and walking down them with caution, half-expecting Shinji to emerge from the apartment in a full rage again. He didn't.

Outside it was perfectly sunny and with a slight breeze, it was perfect for once. The blonde looked around for signs of Katsumi and found none and so he gave up on that chance as well. He was hoping to have someone to sit with and instead settled for walking down the street and to his favorite park, the one with the giant slide.

In the distance he could make out some people approaching some benches and he thought one of them looked familiar. That muscular build and military-like haircut. It couldn't be, could it?

As he got closer, he could make out Katsumi's small frame and beside her, Nagato was handing her something, which she quickly pocketed and bowed her thanks. He must have said something because she suddenly backed away and he gripped her arm and dragged her closer. Deidara saw her look around for help and, fighting the mixture of fear and anger he felt, he retreated into an alley and then took off running in the direction of his apartment.

Nagato was too close for comfort.

* * *

The skin on my arms stung and I looked down at it , feeling my eyelids droop. I blinked and saw the scratches and bare little patches were I had scratched the skin off and somewhere in the back of my mind I was disgusted but the feeling was too far away to locate and so I settled for a mild feeling of surprise, which turned into confusion.

I was no longer in Deidara's room, I realized as I looked around. I was in my own room, sitting in bed. I looked at the tangled mess of sheets and blankets, decorated by streaks of dried blood.

I groaned and stood up, managing nothing more than flexing my knees and then flopping back down onto my bed again. I rolled over and faced the wall, searching through the tangled mess of thoughts that littered my mind, getting nowhere and feeling lost. I felt no anxiety from the state of cluelessness I was in but rather I felt nothing. I blinked ever so slowly and rolled over again, staring at the ceiling and imagining shapes in the texture of it.

As of right now, nothing really mattered. I was clueless as to where my sister was, where Deidara was, and I couldn't bring myself to care very much.

I picked at the forming scabs on my arms, feeling the crawling on my skin again.

* * *

**I hope I can get something else out soon, this writer's block is ridiculous! :( But anyway R&R and thank you :D**


	29. Lifestyle

**UPDATE: I'm now living in Seoul, South Korea because the Army said so and it's been hectic what with in processing into my new unit and just adapting to being in a whole new country. Pretty weird schedule, but I'm finally settling into it. I got to be in Tokyo for like four hours on the way to Korea because my connect flight was from there. Bought an ORIGINAL Naruto manga. Can't read a damn word of it, but still, it's awesome to have.**

**Also, I GOT MARRIED to my boyfriend of almost 4 years C: But the hubs stayed back in the States to finish college so it kind of really sucks to be in Korea without him. To be honest, I really miss him, I cried a lot the day I flew out to Korea but writing is helping me get distracted :)**

**I saw that this story hit 100 reviews! :D :D THANK YOU GUYS! FrontlineTrifecta says she's gonna beat me as far as reviews goes and I'm over here like, "Bring it, bro." She's stationed in Korea with me too, we're roommates :3  
**

**ANYWAY. Enough babbling. On with this story :D**

* * *

I found it difficult to believe that it had hardly been five minutes since I had come in the door and I was already going back out, escorted by my irate mother as my dad stood by, watching uselessly, standing still and looking through me without the slightest interest in what was taking place before him.

As my mother's delicate hands dug into my back and pushed me through the doorway I felt rage building up more and more inside of me, nearly overflowing and I held it in as best as I could, knowing that I would only make the situation worse by acting out. She'd probably be roaming the streets tonight looking for me anyway, and I would probably be sitting in an alley eating something out of the trash by the time she found me like always.

It was always like that.

But as she pushed me out, I saw something in her eyes, those eyes that sometimes looked at me with such love and now held so much repulsion, that alerted me as to the fact that today would be different.

She wouldn't come looking.

And the expression on my dad's face as the door slammed shut before me was something that was burned into my mind, and I knew I would never forget it.

It was an expression of relief.

I stood there, staring at the door, willing it to open, and of course it remained shut. I had nothing but the clothes on my back, and they weren't much to gloat about. I grabbed the doorknob and turned it, knowing that the door would be locked and for some reason this threw me over the edge and I pounded my fists on the door like a caged animal eager to escape but in my case, I wanted in.

The hard thud of the door being hit from the opposite side startled me and my gasp of surprise caught in my throat and I jumped back from the door in disbelief. Tears welled up in my eyes, I was breathing hard and fast, my hands curled into fists, knuckles red and swollen, scraped and beaten.

"_BITCH_!" the voice that came out of my mouth was not my own, it sounded like it belonged to somebody else, somebody weaker and smalled. Somebody who was as afraid as they were angry and even as I thought about it, I realized that my voice gave away my true feelings. I was afraid of what was going to happen to me, and the feeling of rejection manifested itself in the form of physical pain deep inside my chest.

I ran down the metal stairs leading to the parking lot, nearly tripping over my too-long shoe laces. My shoes hit the pavement and I was off in the direction of God-knew-what. It didn't matter to me as long as I could get away from the place that I no longer called home.

I ran down an alleyway, skipping over trashbags, sending empty beer bottles rolling and rats scurrying away. The smell of rotting food hit my stomach hard, but I was breathing too fast to gag, and simply had to deal with my eyes watering, wondering why I had even run this way in the first place but I knew that deep down I just wanted to get lost deep inside this godforsaken city. I wanted to get lost and die. Even as the thought entered my mind and I came to the end of the alley way and onto the sidewalk by the park, I could spot a skinny girl running in my direction. I was going too fast to stop.

I felt myself crash into her, saw the pavement get closer and felt my body hit the ground and a shockwave of pain shot through my body. I yelped like a wounded puppy and I looked up to see that the girl stumbled back a few feet, thrown off balance but not off her feet. She ended up falling anwway, tripping over her own feet, and as she hit the ground, her hair flew away from her face and I could see that _she _was a _he._

And he was Deidara.

The realization hit my mind hard. Here was the little shit that had stopped showing up to school one day, the teacher had fed us some bullshit story about him having gone to live with relatives on the other side of town. I knew it was bullshit because I lived on "the other side of town", which was this area and never had I seen Deidara around here with any relatives of any sort.

Yet here he was, sitting before me, groaning in pain and looking a right mess but then again I supposed I didn't look much better off.

In fact, I knew I didn't.

He showed the signs of having been on the streets for a while now with his overgrown hair, busted lip, and clothes that were at least two sizes too big. He looked smaller and skinnier than I remembered him, and was a sickly sort of pale. A mere shadow of his former self. He had always been small, but he almost looked like those girls did in those posters about anorexia.

I hopped to my feet, disregarding the pain in my lower back from having hit the pavement and stretched a hand out towards the blonde, who looked up at me, puzzled. I doubted he recognized me, but suspected he was trying to.

"Hidan, stupid," I pointed at myself as I said it, and watched the recognition set in upon Deidara's face.

Slowly, the blonde took my hand, wearing an expression which I had not seen before. It looked somewhere between confused and uncomfortable. I supposed he had not expected to run into me of all people, and that was alright with me.

I decided not to ask him anything, as I myself hated being berated by stupid questions. The hell did people want to know things anyway? My business was my business and Deidara's business was Deidara's business- simple as that.

"Thanks," he mumbled, bowing his head briefly. I responded with a soft grunt and we set to walking off towards an area I did not know but soon recognized to be the path to Sasori's apartment complex. I felt a twinge of annoyance and suspicion.

"You know where you're going?" I asked, now sure we were heading to where Sasori lived- the apartments were right within view and it was making me uncomfortable to suspect that Sasori had known where Deidara had been all along.

"Home," was the simple reply.

We did indeed come to the apartment complex and climbed the stairs to Sasori's floor. My confusion was through the roof by the time we walked in the direction of Sasori's apartment and then increased tenfold once Deidara opened the apartment door that would be Sasori's neighbor. _He_ was Sasori's neighbor.

"You live here? But, I thought...what about..." I was stuttering, sputtering, fumbling with my words, and it was all so foreign to me, the confusion, that I opted for silence instead, feeling my face grow hot with annoyance. Why had I even followed him, anyway?

"It's a long story," Deidara mumbled, stepping aside for me to come in. "You wanna come in or were you just escorting me home?"

I felt my heart sink, realizing that I could do as I pleased now that I was pretty much homeless and somewhere in the back of my mind, I hoped Deidara would let me spend the night. "Yeah, yeah, I'm comin' in, calm down."

"Alright, then," he replied, and I stepped inside into the dark apartment.

* * *

**Shinji POV**

I hadn't ever had it this bad before.

Three hours later I was still standing in front of the sink's mirror, picking at my face, scratching little patches of skin away and I looked at my reflection as I did so. I had to look. It was the only way to make sure that they were gone. The maggots- I could feel them crawling under my skin. I couldn't see them, but I could sure as fuck feel them and they drove me insane, the itch was close to being unbearable, and my face stung in the places with no skin. I ripped off forming scabs, blood pooled under my dirty fingernails.

(_gotta keep scratching goddam it's so fucking bad)_

I blacked out for a second and then I suddenly found myself standing naked in my room and I could feel the fresh claw marks on my arms. I looked down and saw the blood dripping down my arms, saw the nail marks running down my arms and the raw, open wounds I had created- it was nauseating. My head felt like it was going to explode and I realized I had started to scream, the shrill noise making my head ache. My screams subsided into desperate gulps for air and I looked around, wide-eyed and hunting. Hunting for the source of my misery and I wasn't even really sure what I was thinking anymore, it wasn't rational at all and then again nothing was rational and why should it be if we were all here without purpose or right?

My senses were magnified in a way that was extremely unpleasant and I knew I needed more meth. I threw myself on the floor of my room, hunting for something, anything, a little piece of it that I may have dropped. I searched every inch of my room, crawled along the floor with my eyes an inch from the ground, searching, searching.

Two hours later, I had collected a tiny pile, just enough to crush up and make it fine enough to snort.

I shuddered and grimaced as I felt that familiar deep burning in my nasal cavity, choked a little on the taste (or imagined taste) of the fumes. There was a moment in which nothing happened and then, all at once, that hot, sweaty wave of euphoria rushed over me and I gritted my teeth with pleasure and I jumped to my feet, breathing deeply. I could go to Jin's, like this, if I wanted. But I knew I'd probably get arrested or some stupid shit, so I threw on some clothes and then reached under the mattress for that envelope of money Katsumi kept.

It was fat, and I decided not to dip too much into it- she had to get her fix as well, after all.

* * *

"I'm hooking you up, don't whine," Jin's voice was like breaking glass and I winced, grinding my teeth against the noise. I could feel myself already starting to tweak pretty hard and I knew I must have looked pretty strange.

I looked at the sad little sack of meth he was handing me.

"Ya think I'm retarded? That's small!"

Jin leaned in close. His pudgy hand encircled my arm, which was, like the rest of my body, getting thinner by the day, and squeezed hard. "What are you gon' do about it, punk? Huh? I let your boy work here, I let your sister whore around in my shop, I let you come in here in the middle of the day for a sack. You know how this shit goes: I rip you the fuck off and you keep coming back. I ain't about to sugarcoat this for you, sweetheart."

Through my drug-induced haze, I knew he was right. I took the sack and set about fixing it up on the counter. Jin watched me with disinterest.

It was a few lines later that I was finally there, high as a motherfucking kite. In fact, I felt a tiny bit too high, I felt the psychosis begin to set in, ever so slowly, and I tried whatever I could to fight it off. Jin was talking, a low noise in the background.

I looked up at him and saw instead one of the creepy old guys that had lived in a homeless shelter that Katsumi and I had briefly stayed at a few years back. He was a wrinkled old sack of shit with gray hair about as long as he was tall and hands that couldn't keep to themselves. I had woken up many a time with him standing over me (he had slept in the bunk above me, as we all got two-man rooms) usually with him rubbing up on my thigh- or maybe a little higher up. Usually, when I awoke, he would snatch his hand back and go back up to his bunk.

There had been an instance in which I had awoke to the man with his hand on my thigh, and I sat up quickly, startled. This time, however, he did not snatch his hand back and I slapped his hand away and looked up into those creepy dark eyes of his, and he was wearing the most curious expression and I knew he was drunk that night. As soon as I had slapped his hand away, he had reached out and started to choke me.

These memories flooded me as I looked at Jin, who was the old man in my mind, and I could feel his hands on my throat, I could feel my ribs breaking as the memory of him kneeing me in my side came to me, heard the splintering of bone, felt the bones cave and my breath catch in my chest. I felt the way I had back then when I choked on my own saliva as I struggled to breathe against the heavy weight of the old man, who had thrown himself upon me and the pain in my ribs would not let me fight him off, though I struggled like a mad animal. I felt the sting of tears in my eyes and these were real as well as a memory and they ran down my cheeks, hot and wet and for a second I could see clearly again and it was Jin standing beside me, not the old man, and I could hear what he was saying.

"...asking about your sister all the time. She must be a cheap fuck too, 'cuz, I tell ya, I see how they pretty much line up at the door!" and it filled him with rage to hear him say that about Katsumi and all at once, memories and realities melted together and he could feel the old man's hot breath on my neck and it disgusted me because I could smell cheap booze and cigarettes, sweat and piss and the old man wheezed when he exhaled and the weight of him, the sticky wetness of his sweat on my body, it was all so unwelcome. I could also hear Jin's voice, like a drill in my eardrum, and I could see him, though my field of vision was hazy.

He shut up all at once very quickly and I realized that I had told him to shut the fuck up. I felt my neck muscles twitch, my head cocked to the side a few times and I turned back to him, now completely and utterly fucked up, halfway into a state of drug-induced psychosis.

Then I was on my feet and suddenly I was on the other side of the shop- time was moving too fast, my mind was getting left behind, my body was acting of it's own accord, my mouth was running and I had no idea what I was saying, really. I was sweating profusely, eyes darting from side to side. I could see the expression on Jin's face change from amusement to fear.

The last shred of sense that I had left allowed me to make myself leave.

I walked out into the hot afternoon, high on meth and unable to tell what was real and what was not.

I needed to get home.

* * *

**Katsumi POV**

I rolled over onto my side, pulling the blankets up to my chin, listening to the sound of running water in the bedroom's bathroom. The door was closed, and I was here lying naked under a stranger's sheets.

I felt the sticky wetness between my thighs and thought that it was lucky I didn't get a period anymore. I reached over to the bedside table for my things and, as I heard the water continue to run, I cooked up some heroin for myself and loaded up a rig.

The snap of the latex band on my arm coincided with the water stopping. I was busy digging around in my arm for a vein as he emerged from the bathroom, his hair wet as was his face. Beads of water rolled down his neck and down his chest. He sat down next to me on the bed, lighting a cigarette.

"I want you all to myself, the whole day," he said. My nose picked up the scent of tobacco and I found it irksome at the time.

"It'll cost you extra," I mumbled. I finally hit a vein. I aspirated the plunger, watching with satisfaction as blood surged into the chamber and then slammed it all on home.

(_one, two, three_)

The warmth crept up my arm and invaded my entire body. I dropped the rig onto the bedside table, released the latex band, and felt my body go slack. I could still hear the guy talking between the nods, my eyes fluttering. I inhaled deeply.

Distantly, I felt his hands on my breasts and I spread my legs for him, wishing he'd just get on with it

(_is the day over with yet jesus just pay me so i can dip the fuck out_)_  
_

and let me be so I could nod out.

Regardless, I felt myself fading out and as I nodded out, he began to fuck me. It didn't matter, I was passing out, I didn't care.

* * *

**Waiting on FrontlineTrifecta to get to the food court where I'm at so we can chat it up :D I really liked this chapter. To be honest I didn't edit this one at all ._. SO, I apologize for any mistakes- I type really fast so, yeah...it happens. Um, anway XD R&R please and thank you :)**


	30. From a Different Point of View

**OKAY! It's been super hard to find wifi and stuff like that for my computer but I'm doing all I can. Now that I've moved into my permanent room, all is awesome and such!**

**Honestly, I don't really have all that much time for editing, but I do try my best to spell correctly and such, so I apologize for the mistakes and stuff D:**

**Anyway-**

**ENJOY~**

****FrontlineTrifecta did indeed have to make a new account because the airport broke her laptop on her way to Korea and all her FFN stuff was on it, and she couldn't remember her password and email and stuff. She is now under the screenname superpotatocakes (I picked it!) and will be re-publishing Slow Burn. Reads & reviews are greatly appreciated, thank you!****

* * *

How had it gotten like this?

I realized that I was coming to because I could feel the mattress I was lying on, could feel the way the guy's sweat had soaked through the material and the stench of it was overpowering. I breathed in softly and opened my eyes. He was sitting next to me, and I could see from where I was that he was doing something with the bottom of his lighter to something he was holding, realizing belatedly that this creep probably smoked crack. He did, in fact, smoke crack I now realized, as the familiar smell began to stink up the apartment. I nearly gagged, and settled for rolling away from him in the bed, too weak to do much else.

I felt his hand clamp down on my arm and slowly turn me back to him. I quickly realized that the light coming in from the window wasn't very bright at all, it was late.

"It's almost time for me to go," I mumbled, sitting up in bed. I swung my feet over the edge of the bed and he still held onto my arm with a firm grip.

"Not before you suck me off, so get back here," he tugged on my arm unnecessarily and I decided that it was time to go.

I yanked my arm out of his grip. "Lemme go...I'm ready to dip out, pay me."

"What'd I just ask you to do, huh?" he smacked my face softly, playfully. I in turn smacked his hand away, harder than I had intended.

I can't say I didn't see it coming, but it was certainly a surprise to hear that loud smack and it was even a bigger surprise to feel the stinging sensation in the right side of my face. Pain progressed to numbness and I hissed softly from the pain, cupping a hand to the affected side. I threw the sheets off of me and jumped out of bed.

"Screw you!" I snatched a hair tie off my wrist and put my hair up in a quick ponytail and set about retrieving my clothes as fast as possible. I didn't even really care if he paid me at this point, I just wanted to get out of this stupid apartment and this creepy crackhead guy. "Suck yourself off, asshole."

He, too, jumped out of bed and, in an instant, he had me by the hair and was trying to force me on my knees while I resisted with every ounce of strength that I had. He finally tired of the struggle and kneed me in the stomach, releasing my hair and letting me drop to the ground. I gasped for air, making strange animalistic sounds that were unfamiliar, and the desperation, a product of the feeling of getting no air, set in quick and I got on all fours, heaving and retching, drooling excessively. My vision was made cloudy by tears and I was finally able to breathe after a long twenty seconds.

I felt his foot hit my side and my body hit the bedside table, knocking over the lamp that had been sitting on it and it fell onto my back and exploded into a million tiny shards of glass, some of which embedded themselves into my back.I heard the piercing sound of the shower of glass before I felt the stinging pain in my back. I yelped from the pain and before I had time to react, he had dragged me halfway across the room, punching and kicking me along the way. I felt my nose snap out of place, blood gushed freely down my face. I heard a crunch and then a dull pain in my hand and looked down just in time to see that my left pinky was badly broken before my vision was obscured by a fist that hit me right below my right eye. Everything was happening too fast, I couldn't feel the pain of what was happening to me fast enough, it all just came in sudden waves. I was confused, half drugged-up, and weak.

Finally, I was thrown into a wall back-first and into a sitting position. My head fell forward and I managed to lift it and look up in time to see him step in front of me, crotch in my face, and I felt his hand grab ahold of my hair again. My right eye was swelling rapidly, and a strange warmth was spreading down the side of my face. I looked up at him and then back down, closing my eyes, feeling tears welling in my eyes again.

I opened my mouth wide for him.

He smiled.

* * *

I walked slowly, guided by the dim streetlights along the sidewalk, holding the crumpled bills in my hand.

Four-thousand yen. That was what he had paid me. He had thrown the money in my face after he had finished face-fucking me for a good while. My jaw was sore and stiff. I massaged it with my free hand as I walked, and stuffed the wrinkled yen inside my bra.

I could see the apartment complex looming closer and before long I was climbing up the rickety metal stairs. I was tired, my hair was sweaty, I could feel that the wetness between my thighs had dried to a sticky mess. I was aware that I probably reeked of crack, and my face must have been a rainbow of bruises.I walked in the door cautiously, remembering only too well that Shinji was on some crazy shit and somewhere I wondered in the back of my mind whether he had ever taken Jin up on his offer to try meth because it certainly seemed as though he had, judging by the way he had behaved earlier. It appeared that he was not home, though I did hear Deidara's small voice coming from the kitchen and I walked towards it, always fond of the kiddo as he was a real sweetheart. I knew he wouldn't judge me while I looked like this now.

I stepped into the kitchen and found him washing dishes alone with a little white-haired someone.

"Hello," I spoke timidly. I was conscious of the fact that I hardly spoke in the house unless I was in the presence of Deidara, who seemed to regard me as a friend, something for which I was most grateful.

Both heads whipped around and I was met with Deidara's curious little face. I was disappointed to see that his lip was split- Shinji had got him. The other boy was handsome and looked older than Deidara and unfamiliar.

"Hello, Katsumi-san. This is Hidan," the little blonde pointed to the white-haired boy. "He's a friend from school. He's staying here for a while, I told him it was okay. It's okay, right?"

And he regarded me with a face full of anxiety and a desire for approval that I found almost sad and so how could I refuse?

"Of course. Hi, Hidan," I tried to smile, but my jaw hurt so bad, and the swelling in my eye also made it painful. The boy stared at me, looking puzzled, but it appeared that he knew better than to ask much. I saw Deidara scan the various bruises on my face, saw him bite back words. Our eyes met and I tried to communicate with one look that I would be okay. He seemed to understand and resumed washing the dishes, as did Hidan.

"I'm gonna go shower," I announced, turning to leave. "Is Shinji home?"

"Alright, Katsumi-san," Deidara called after me. "No, he hasn't come home."

I hadn't expected him to be.

I quietly slipped away and into the bathroom so I could shoot more heroin, feeling the throbbing of my broken finger, the stinging of my cut up back.

* * *

The soft ping of the tweezers dropping onto the tile floor was deafening. That last shard of glass was out, it seemed, and my back felt a lot better. I looked over at the rig sitting on the sink, the chamber filled with a mixture of blood and heroin, black and tarry. I decided to try to ride this one out without more heroin first. I was pretty high anyway.

I leaned up against the wall and looked down at my broken pinkie, trying to figure out the best way to straighten it out and simply opted to try and snap it back to whatever direction looked to be the correct one.

Problem was, it hurt to even touch the damn thing. I grabbed it lightly and bit back a gasp of pain. Suddenly I was seized by the desire to just get it over with and gripped it hard, pushing on the sides. Pain shot up my arm and I squeezed harder in response. The sharp crack of my pinky realigning was sickening, and the wave of pain that hit me afterwards was even more so. I released my hand and leaned over the toilet, retching from the pain, but my stomach had nothing to give. I rested my head on the toilet seat while my hand felt along the top of the sink for the rig.

I found the latex band on the floor near my foot and tied it around my arm, pumping my fist a few times to try to get a vein to show up but by this point it was no use. My veins were completely collapsed, hiding under the muscle, and I'd have to dig around for one like always.

I must have dug around for a good minute before I hit one and my hand was shaking so badly that I infiltrated the vein and shot some right into the muscle.

My arm was on fire in an instant, or so it felt like it. I yanked the needle out as my muscles contracted painfully in response to what had just been done and under any other circumstances I would have decided I'd had enough but not tonight. Tonight I wanted more. Tonight I wanted to float away on that sick euphoric ride that heroin brought only in massive doses. I was sure my pupils were miniscule by now, and I must have looked crazy.

I stuck myself again and dug around, this time finding that same vein that was now popping up angrily. I plunged it all in, fast.

I had maybe half a second to think, "Oh, shit." and then I was out.

* * *

The sound of running water was soothing this evening, and so Deidara took longer than usual to rinse the dishes while Hidan wiped down all the counter tops.

"You like cleaning, huh?" Deidara asked Hidan as he rinsed the last bowl. He proceeded to rinse his hands under the warm water, watching the soap bubbles run down his hands.

"It helps me get my thoughts together," Hidan replied, and Deidara knew exactly what he meant. He wiped with a sort of concentration that Deidara found amusing. A single strand of his snow-white hair came loose from the way he had it slicked back and came to rest in front of his eyes. Hidan seemed not to notice.

A few minutes later and with the cleaning done, they decided to go to Deidara's room with a box full of cookies, two cups, and the almost-expired jug of milk that they figured would be best to drink now anyway. They stepped into Deidara's room and the blonde was suddenly very conscious of the fact that he had left enough drug paraphernelia lying around to give Hidan an idea of what he'd been doing, even if he hadn't asked any questions so far, none at all, which Deidara appreciated greatly.

They sat down on the floor and Deidara watched as Hidan picked up a crushed tinfoil pipe and before he could begin to panic, he saw the wide mischevious smile so unique to Hidan paint itself on his face.

"Is this yours?" Hidan asked, now looking positively amused.

Deidara set the cookies down and sat opposite Hidan, keeping his eyes down on the ground. "Yeah..." he replied cautiously, still not sure what kind of response this would trigger.

And Hidan laughed- a sharp, high pitched sound that shattered the silence in the apartment. "Bro! No way? Holy crap! Fuck the cookies, man!"

Deidara raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Smoke sesh?"

"Pfft!" Hidan raised his hands in a way that indicated his absolute approval.

"Well, fuck the cookies then!" Deidara sprang up, almost laughing. He retrieved a little red bong from a nearby drawer.

Hidan smiled mischeviously again.

* * *

_(theeerrreee...heee...goooessss)_

The thought itself was ridiculous yet I could not help but think that it was the most logical thing I could think of as I watched Deidara walk out of the room to go get something or other, I had already forgotten what it was.

I took the long trip down onto the ground from a sitting position, feeling myself falling for too long or maybe all eternity, and a part of me was really kind of spooked at the feeling of falling forever, the possibility of never setting foot on stable ground again and as soon as it started, I had found the floor and was cuddling on a fallen pillow.

Suddenly Deidara was back

_(but hadn't he been gone for hours?)_

and he was speaking in a voice that was too slow for me to hear, but I needn't worry because it soon all caught up with me and the world made sense again.

"What's in this shit...?" I struggled to speak, my lips felt numb and heavy, my tongue unwilling to speak, my jaw was lead.

I blinked and it took a thousand years and Deidara was on the other side of the room now, looking perfectly fine, and I suspected that this was no regular weed. I myself had only smoked a handful of times and now that I thought about it I supposed that Deidara might have been doing this for a lot more times.

"It's laced," came the reply, and I didn't think to ask what it was laced with. I merely nodded my head a thousand times, liking the way it made my head feel.

Then, I was talking, talking, talking, before I was aware of what I was doing. It was curious, really, how I could just go on and on and on about really nothing at all, and soon I found myself talking about what had happened earlier and before I knew it I was crying. I suddenly found myself to be very aware of the situation. Two twelve-year olds smoking weed- pathetic. Shameful, even. I felt it settle in my gut but I was too high to care.

Deidara was saying something about Sasori, and I listened but not really. His words sailed over my head in a soft melody, just pleasant to my ears and nothing else. I couldn't really focus on what he was saying, but that didn't matter. A few phrases stood out, and so I could sort of keep up with the conversation without knowing I was doing so.

"Do you...like him, bro?" I asked, the words escaping my lips before I knew what I was saying. I hadn't meant to say it, but I had certainly been thinking it and I supposed it was a good thing that I had asked because it was certainly something that needed to be answered. "Like, no joke..."

And there was a silence in which it all just seemed to fit. The universe, I mean, because really nothing else was making sense and I was dimly aware that I was still awaiting a response from Deidara. I watched him struggle to respond, watched the little crease appear between his eyebrows and soon I was tracing the shape of it with my eyes and not really thinking of much else. I felt my body stir with the laughter I was not aware of and then it seemed that my senses caught up with everything and I found that I was laughing and soon so was Deidara.

We laughed for what seemed like forever and forgot all about what I had asked him.

Buried deep in my mind, the subject never came up again.

* * *

When I finally found my way home, it was dark outside. I stumbled in through the door and held onto the doorframe for dear life, leaning my head upon it and feeling sick. My high was long gone, my body was weak. I managed to get the door closed behind me and made my way over to the sink, where I stuck my head in and tried to throw up- the nausea was unbearable. I gagged and only managed to drool into the sink, breathing harshly and feeling the tears sting my eyes.

Deidara's door was closed and Katsumi was nowhere to be seen. I felt alone.

My body was going into spasms and I realized I really had no control over any of this now. I felt my body twitch and heard the horrible gasps I made with every jerk of my limbs. I backed up into a wall and slowly slid down onto the cold tile, closing my eyes as the room began to spin and I curled up into a ball.

I could feel the maggots crawling under my skin again.

I didn't expect to find myself in the kitchen what seemed like a few hours later. It had really been only ten minutes and I was at a loss for what to do. I could feel a stinging pain in my arms, which meant that I had probably clawed up my arms while in a blackout and I dared not look down and assess the damage. I could only imagine what my arms might look like. The itch was gone. For now.

I headed towards the bathroom and thought it odd that the door was closed, but simply went to open it. To my surprise, something was blocking the door but I was able to push it open far enough for me to stick my head through and see what was causing the blockage.

Her clothes hung of her frame in great folds and pooled around her, as if she were wearing a great endless robe and I could see her skeletally thin frame outlined beneath it. She was lying in what was almost the fetal position, and her arms were criss-crossed in front of her face. I spotter the trail of blood leading from the crook of her arm to the rig lying only a few inches from her hands and in that instant I knew she had overdosed. It wasn't the first time, but I was still terrified.

"Katsumi," I said, and my voice was nothing more than a faint whisper, cracking and fading and so it really was useless of me to try and talk. My throat was so dry.

I crouched down and scooped her up in my arms, alarmed at the fact that she weighed close to nothing and the limpness of her body sent my heart racing. I slapped her and called her name a few times but got no response. I could feel the panic building up inside of me and I realized that I really might lose her.

I couldn't lose my baby sister.

I stood up and climbed into the bathtub with Katsumi in my arms. I sat down and turned the shower on. The icy cold water shocked my mind into a state of full alertness and I began to shiver, but still I made sure the water hit Katsumi more than me. Surely it would wake her.

I stared into her face and thought for a moment that I could still see her face as it used to be, round and cheeky, smiling and hopeful. Instead the cruel reality of her hollowed cheeks and sickly pale skin stared back at me. There were bags under the eyes that refused to open. Her lips, slightly chapped, were partially open, and in a neutral position so that her face was void of all expression. I shook her gently, splashing her face with water and smacking her a bit on the face.

"Katsumi!" I half-yelled into her face. "Katsumi, wake up!"

I put my ear to her mouth and could barely make out a whisper of a breath. She would stop breathing soon.

I suddenly felt as helpless as I had that night all those years ago upon learning of my parents' deaths and how Katsumi had looked up at me and the realization that I was now her only hope in the world had hit me so hard. Here we were years later and I as her sole caregiver had failed in my duties to protect her. Because, here she was, not even twenty years old, and I was watching her die in my arms, watching the little color her face had had left in it drain before my very eyes and it seemed that she was no closer to regaining consciousness than she had been when I first came in.

The emotional distress was enough to physically hurt and it presented itself in the form of a tight knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat. I gulped and breathed in deeply, feeling a great pressure on my chest, feeling the breath catch in the back of my throat and my eyes burned with tears, my bottom lip quivered and I heard my own little gasps, the pathetic sound of my own misery echoing in the bathroom.

I shook her hard this time and hugged her, feeling hot tears dripping down my face, instantly cooled by the cold shower water and in seconds I was sobbing, my whole body trembling, tears flowing freely down my face.

I thought I felt her move for a second and so I immediately turned the water off and pushed my soaking wet hair out of my face to get a better look at my baby sister. I stared into her face for what seemed like an eternity, waiting, hoping, for movement, anything that might signal to me that she would open her eyes and look at me because I needed her to be okay. That was really all I needed.

* * *

**I was totally gonna write more. Then I was like NO and looked over at Ramos and was like muehehehe :D :D So R&R, I'll try to get the next one out as soon as possible! ~Jas**


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